Relationship with You
Physical exercise is essential for people of all ages.
“Take care of your body.
It’s the only place you have to live.”
– Jim Rohn
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
Psychological: Exercise improves mood and can be as effective as medication for treating depression, regardless of age. (ref.3)
Self-esteem: Improved muscle tone and strength contribute to a positive sense of self-worth. (ref.4)
Physical health: Bodies that perform better, physically, enjoy improved longevity and quality of life.
BRAIN HEALTH
Additionally, there’s new evidence that physical exercise can reverse brain aging. Earlier this year, researchers discovered that a protein produced by the liver during exercise called GPLD1 causes a chain reaction in the body that improves cognitive function, making older brains perform like younger brains! (ref.5)
GETTING PHYSICAL AND HAVING FUN
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. Scientists have studied numerous activities beyond walking and found benefits to older individuals with and without physical limitations:
Tai Chi - This ancient Chinese low-impact exercise is suited to seniors with balance, coordination, and arthritis challenges. It can improve cardiovascular fitness and motor control and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in seniors. (ref.6)
Dancing - Regardless of style, dancing can significantly improve balance, strength, endurance, and overall fitness in older adults. (ref.7)
Gardening - Seniors can enjoy moderate to vigorous exercise through gardening, improving overall flexibility and strength. Community gardening can also boost social connections. (ref.8)
Silver Yoga - This senior-oriented yoga style was found to reduce body fat percentage and systolic blood pressure while improving balance, range of motion and quality of sleep in women ages 60–86.9
Games - Croquet, horseshoes, corn hole, shuffle-board, golf, badminton, and other games encourage physical activity through fun and competition. When practiced outdoors, these activities also provide Vitamin D and fresh air.
Reference from SRES® • November/December 2020:
3 Exercise and Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Major Depression: One-Year Follow-Up of the SMILE Study, Hoffman et al., 2010.
4 Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem: Longitudinal Relationships in Older Adults, McAuley et al., 2005.
5 Blood Factors Transfer Beneficial Effects of Exercise on Neurogenesis and Cognition to the Aged Brain, Horowitz et al., 2020.
6 Tai Chi: An Alternative Exercise Form for Seniors, Yan and Downing, 1998.
7 The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions to Improve Older Adults’ Health: A Systematic Literature Review, Hwang and Braun, 2015.
8 The Benefits of Gardening on Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature, Wang and MacMillan, 2012.
9 Pilot-testing the Effects of a Newly-Developed Silver Yoga Exercise Program for Female Seniors, Kuei-Min and Wei-Shyuan, 2008.