The twilight years are times for making things easy. Retirement offers a time to do things that would otherwise have been impossible to do while working. It gives you the opportunity to travel, spend more time with your spouse. Your kids visit and engage in a hobby that I have not had time to do before.
Aging, however, brings with it the ruin of several debilitating diseases, which limits our elderly to the wheelchair or the four corners of a nursing home. High blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis are just some of the conditions that come with age in decline. Instead of allowing retirees the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labors sweaty while they were still in the workforce, they are left to live the rest of their lives making routine visits to doctors and excruciating pain.
This does not mean of course that these diseases come with age. A large amount of them could have been prevented with a healthy diet, exercise and lifestyle practices that promote better circulatory, respiratory, and gastrointestinal functioning early in life. However, you can still stay in shape during their twilight years. It's just important to understand that fitness for the elderly requires a different approach from that of younger age groups.
Exercise and a healthy diet are still the cornerstones of a healthy aging. Nutrition for the elderly must be marked by a low-fat intake but with more protein, vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber. Because of their metabolic, rate is decreased. The calorie intake should be reduced, if you want to maintain their ideal weight. In addition, to avoid aggravating pre-existing heart conditions, their diet should be low in sodium, saturated fats and simple sugars. To promote health and prevent disease, those who are already in the twilight years should consume more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish. They should also try to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. A calcium supplement is also needed to reduce bone loss.
The role of exercise in the gym for the elderly cannot be underestimated. Adults over the age of 70 years suffering from degenerative joint disease, usually characterized by complaints of back pain. Bone density loss is also osteoporosis, which interferes with safe mobility and performance of ADL or so-called activities of daily living. When the function of the bones and the joint efficiency is compromised, non-vertebral and hip fractures can be far behind. Thus, aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility are a necessary component of fitness for seniors. An interesting study involving a group of residents in a nursing home aged 90 years and over who have participated in a program of high-intensity resistance showed a significant increase in mobility and muscle strength.
Finally, fitness for seniors should also involve changes in lifestyle that reduces stress and promotes relationships. While putting the elderly in nursing homes has become an accepted practice in America, it might be of interest to the members of the family to learn that the incidence of depression increases by as much as 30% among residents of nursing homes. It could mean more sacrifices in terms of our time, but the support of family means a lot to those in the twilight years. It keeps them young at heart. And this is part of keeping them healthy.
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