One of the simplest and most effective ways to bring down blood glucose levels, cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve overall health and well-being is physical fitness and exercise. Yet, in our increasingly sedentary world, where almost every essential task can be performed online, from the driver’s seat, or with a phone call, exercising and being physically fit can be tough case to sell.

In reality, everyone should exercise, yet survey shows that only 30% of the United States adult population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all.

Inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in America, because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance and other factors that trigger other kinds of diseases.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling the onset of any kinds of diseases. For people who are already candidates for some serious diseases like diabetes and heart failure, exercise and physical fitness can improve the condition of some parts of the body like insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

In 2003, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism had published an issue regarding the result of their study and found out that lack of exercise and physical fitness were the key factors behind obesity and other serious diseases like diabetes.

Hence, it is extremely important for a person to stay healthy and be physically fit in order to avoid such illnesses.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” couch potato, is to consult with your health care provider.

If you have cardiac factors, your doctor may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain complications of some diseases will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible “retinal detachment.”

Health experts also contend that patients with sever peripheral neuropathy or PN should avoid foot-intensive weight-bearing exercises such as long-distance walking, jogging, or step aerobics and opt instead for low-impact activities like swimming, biking, and rowing.

If you have conditions that make exercise and physical fitness a challenge, your provider may refer you to an exercise physiologist who can design a fitness program for your specific needs.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor.

The bottom line is that physical fitness and exercise should not have to be a rigid activity and should not come off strong. Your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk, walking the dog, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator. The important thing is that you keep on moving. Every little bit really helps a lot.

In the end, you will realize that the many things that good food can bring you are equally the same as what physical fitness can do for you.

5 Ways Seniors Can Enjoy Daily Exercise

First they tell you that you have to exercise at least 90 minutes a day, five days a week, and then they tell you that it has to hurt. This no pain, no gain mentality is somehow meant to inspire us to work our bodies so hard that we are sore and stiff the next day. For seniors who already have pain that they are trying to heal, the prospect of purposefully adding more pain makes exercise seem like a bad joke. The idea that we should feel pain after we exercise may be good for military boot camps that want to build up soldiers, but as seniors, there should be a way to work around extreme exercise.

Yoga

Luckily, many doctors and fitness enthusiasts are beginning to support seniors in the re-done, no pain, no pain attitude. They are finding that seniors who are expected to add pain to a lifestyle that may already incorporate chronic pain is an unreasonable expectation. Yoga, for example, purports that no one is supposed to feel pain during any of the postures. In other words, a posture done within a person’s abilities will not be painful. Activities like walking and dancing are being suggested as a beneficial, painless way for seniors to stay fit as well.

Swimming

Swimming is another activity being recommended for no pain, with gain. Being in the water relieves muscle tension, pain and swelling from arthritis, and lets the body perform resistance exercise with little tension on the joints. It is still possible to overexert you or feel sore the next day, but the water makes the chances for a successful and painless workout much more possible. Hospitals have even built swimming pools or co-opted with gyms for pool use time because swimming is such a painless way for seniors and those in physical therapy to regain or grow strength.

Gym

There are a few ways to make sure that you are in the right environment to engage in a no pain with gain workout. Professional gyms which have certified instructors are a great place to start. Senior classes are on gym calendars everywhere. Silver Sneakers offers classes made specifically for seniors at various levels of fitness and ability. Many instructors will also offer modifications for exercises. If the modification information is not readily available, ask the instructor or fitness manager for it. As long as your doctor has approved the activity or class, the instructor should be able to offer ways to keep pressure off the knees and wrists, or recommend alternate exercises for those using walkers or wheelchairs. Wellness centers and weight rooms should have personal trainers on hand that can recommend the proper weight for circuit training and lifting weights. If a fitness instructor does not have this information, then reconsider taking a different class or going to another gym.

Dancing

Besides finding places which can offer the proper modifications for their classes and machines, finding something enjoyable which you like to do and that is physical will also diminish the pain philosophy from a wellness attitude. If you pick a physical activity which you consider fun, you are not likely to associate it with a need to create discomfort. Dancing should end the night with you feeling rejuvenated and exhausted by the fun, not the pain, you experienced. The only potential drawback to doing something that we enjoy is that we tend not to think directly about how much we are working our bodies when we feel good. Try to keep tabs on how your body feels throughout your activity or workout. Remember that you are going to be the first person who will know when it has been too much.

Walking

Taking a little walk can do wonders. Not only will it revive you but may motivate you to continue exercising. As gentle as the new workouts are, a little soreness can still result from any physical exertion. Counteracting soreness with some yoga or stretches will take away some of the kinks, especially when they are more pronounced in the morning. Drinking plenty of water before and after a workout also does plenty to keep sore muscles away. Water helps to breakdown the lactic acid that builds up as you build muscle. Outside of drinking water, a relaxing, warm bath can alleviate any soreness until your body gets accustomed to your new pain-free workout.

Set realistic expectations for your work outs. After you have had your check-up and talk with your doctor and gained clearance for an exercise routine, there are some basic rules that will help you ensure that you have set realistic expectations. First and foremost, if something hurts, stop immediately. If the pain persists when you begin to exercise again, take a break.

If you are under the weather, take it easy. You may need to skip your routine entirely if you are feeling very ill, but certainly thinking about at least modifying your routine when you are not feeling well. If you have experienced some unusual pain or if you have been ill, when you start your routine up again, start slowly likely you did when you began the routine. If you feel chest pain or pressure, breathing trouble or excessive shortness of breath persistent pain in a muscle or joint, nausea and unusual balance difficulties you should make an appointment to meet with your doctor once again.

The best way to get started on a routine is to begin with 10 minutes a couple times a day. Take it slow, moving at a consistent pace. Be sure to wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing that keeps your body temperature comfortable as well. Dressing in layers is a key element to ensure that you can adjust as your body temperature rises. Early on, don’t overexert yourself in any manner and be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your activity.

Always ease your body into exercise. Stretching or walking for at least 5 minutes is a great way to get both looser and warmed up. As you begin to feel stronger, gradually increase both the time and intensity of your activity. If walking, walk faster or uphill and walk for longer periods of time. If bicycling, do likewise. If you can get active with friends you stand a good chance of keeping it interesting. Finally, work for consistency. If you do a small amount every day, it will become a part of a routine that you will automatically include. Too many people focus on doing a lot occasionally. That tends to make it difficult to keep up your routine - with research pointing to regularity and consistency, keeping up your routine is the most important aspect of your program.

Remember, your schedule can include a variety of activity. It is also possible to mix traditional forms of exercise with the non-traditional to ensure that your routine is neither grueling nor boring. Non-traditional forms can include gardening, walking your dog, and even spending an evening going dancing. Most importantly, if you are having fun, your routine will be better for you overall, physically, mentally and emotionally. Most importantly it will be much easier for you to maintain.

A tip that helps those who start an exercise schedule to maintain that schedule is to keep an Activity Log. Writing down what types of activity you do everyday is a great way help you realize just how much you have accomplished or haven’t accomplished on any given day. In addition, as the days go on, your log will make it easier for you to keep up your new pace especially when you are to look back to see the progress you have made.

Physical activity yields a multitude of physical, mental and psychological benefits. Regular physical activity reduces a person’s risk of heart disease and if the person experiences hypertension, exercise will also lower the blood pressure of the exerciser. Physical exercise protects against loss in bone mass, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and reduces the risk of falling and breaking a bone in the fall. New research shows that regular exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Exercise also increases your body metabolism helping shed useless weight - increased muscle mass helps a person burn more calories as muscle burns more calories than fat. A healthy, strong body is also the surest way to fight off infection and sickness, as well as allow people who become sick to recover from their illness far quickly.

There is no doubt that a physically active lifestyle is one of the most important contributions to healthy aging. The key is to start and to start now. In fact, many people will state that the most difficult part of any new endeavor is getting started. So the key is to simply tell yourself that you can do it and the time to do it is now. Be sure to pace yourself and move slowly at the outset, making exercise a regular part of your day. Regardless of the amount of time and the intensity of the work out, the key is to start by doing something, anything. If you can make it a habit, then it will become easier for you to create a routine that you can consistently commit to and ultimately build upon if you seek to increase your fitness.

" No occupation is as delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. I am still devoted to the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener."

– THOMAS JEFFERSON

For many of us, gardening provides a deep sense of peace and connectedness to the Earth. It is a pastime we enjoy, and, after retiring from the working world, we finally have the time to indulge in activities that, in earlier years, we had to struggle to fit into our busy schedule.

In addition to being a fulfilling activity, gardening allows us to stay physically active. The act of gardening helps maintain balance, coordination and strength. This, plus the maintenance of mental faculties that it provides, makes gardening a wonderful physical activity for seniors.

As we age, our bodies tend to stiffen up. Our muscles lose their strength and the flexibility of our joints suffers. Sadly, cutting back on physical activity only hastens this process. That’s why I value enjoyable activities that are both immediately rewarding, and stem the onset of the symptoms of aging. Experts in aging recommend light daily activities to keep our bodies fit and our minds sharp. Gardening provides precisely such an activity. In fact, the more frequently you visit your garden, the less work is necessary with each day. This motivates me to get out each day and keeps the workload light on an individual visit.

Besides the health and mental benefits of the activity, gardening is immensely rewarding. A flower garden adds to the attractiveness of the house and yard, while a vegetable or herb garden provides fresh vegetables and seasonings for the kitchen. Knowing that you have produced the food that you are eating makes the meal that much more delicious.

Over the years, I have discovered a number of tips that help me make the most of my gardening experience.

Stretching and warming up the body before beginning a physical activity is important. Having a prepared body helps keep me in the garden longer and relieves some of the soreness I sometimes experience afterwards. Likewise, a gradual cool-down after being active helps prevent the body from stiffening up.

While in the garden, try to avoid twisting your body while working. If you need to reach around to the right or left, take the time to stand up and replant your feet for the task. This is especially important when applying force (with a gardening fork or while weeding, for example).

A wheelbarrow can save your muscles and joints as well. When lifting, make sure and lift with the knees, no matter how light the load—this will keep your back from experiencing any discomfort. Similarly, when performing a task at ground level, avoid bending at the waist—kneel down instead. Sometimes, I find that taking a kneeling pad, or even a garden stool, with me helps my endurance when working with the soil or young plants.

Try to break tasks up and keep your body moving. Avoid sitting or kneeling in the same position for too long. Stiffness sets in quickly when the body is at rest, and you can avoid discomfort and injury with frequent changes of your pose.

A number of adaptive tools are now available that reduce the strain on muscle groups while tilling, planting, weeding and harvesting a garden. These tools reduce the danger of injury and can prolong sessions of gardening.

In addition, volunteer organizations exist in many communities that will provide some help in the more strenuous aspects of gardening and yard work. Ask about these programs at your local senior center or at the United Way.

With those guidelines in mind, my only additional advice is: don’t delay! Get out there and enjoy your garden. The sooner you begin, the more quickly you’ll experience the health benefits yourself. Once you start, I predict you’ll want to spend more and more time in your garden—it’s addicting! Whether you decide to plant flowers, vegetables, or herbs, your garden will provide you with an attractive addition to your yard, a sense of pride and well-being, as well as a healthier, fit body and mind.

Quite often, when our children return from afternoon play, they look exhausted, and ready for a nap. That is the most accurate description, and quite the truth. Play is hard work. It is exhausting to the mind and body of the young person, and plays an extremely important role in helping them to become productive, healthy citizens.
The role of exercise and play in a young child’s life provides them with many benefits. Exercise of the body is an important part of keeping the young body fit as it grows into an adult body. When we reach adulthood, if we have had the benefit of exercise and play, we tend to continue that habit into our adult years.
What else is to be gained from the opportunities that play affords? We often participate in organized sports, coordinated play times, and are a member of a large group during all of these activities. Play on this level teaches us how to interact with our peers, develop camaraderie and perform as a team with other players. These skills are absolute necessities in today’s business world. But what else is happening here, during this time of play and exercise?
What we learn in body language, coping skills, and the interaction of the mind and body during our interaction with others, is invaluable. When we learn these skills well, we not only learn how to interact with others, we learn how to interact with our self. Interact with our self? That seems like a pointless exercise, but it is an all important part of maintaining our health and wellness. There are times that our bodies try to tell us things about our physical or mental condition, and we simply refuse to listen. If we have learned how to listen to others around us when they attempt to point out a need or desire, we have a useful tool in listening to ourselves. This often can mean the difference between optimal health, and creating an unhealthy situation.
What else do we learn? We learn what our physical and mental limitations are. During play, you see children and young adolescents push themselves to the very limit. But as children, we are better able to distinguish between a real limit versus what society deems our limits. As a child, or young adult, the pressures of the world do not weigh on us as they do when we are adults. We are better keepers of the temple at ten, than we are at twenty. We are still very in tune to what our body tells us, because it is our true master as a child. As an adult, we have let outside influences master our body and mind, and dominate our time.
As you can see, the benefits to be gained during our exercise and play time as children, is a benefit to us for the remainder of our lives. Too often, we adults forget the importance of exercise and play and the principles that are to be learned from time spent in these activities. We want to rush our children into their daily responsibilities, forgetting that their chief responsibility during the younger years is the play and interaction of young minds.