The classic assertion that “life is about exercise” must still be fresh in the minds of many middle-aged and older readers. In the past decades, this slogan has been inspiring generations of people to exercise, strengthen their bodies and cultivate their temperament. In recent years, as China gradually enters an aging society, more and more middle-aged and elderly people have begun to pay attention to the positive effects of exercise on health.
The physiological conditions and status of middle-aged and elderly people are very different from those of young people, so before discussing exercise methods, it is necessary to understand the effects of ageing on the human motor system.
Effects on muscles
As age increases, muscles begin to atrophy, a physiological process that can be accelerated by prolonged inactivity resulting in a state of quiescence. As we age, the number of muscle fibers gradually decreases. At age 50, muscles must be stretched longer than they were at age 20 in response to external stimuli.
There is less water in the tendons, which makes the tendon tissue stiffer and less able to withstand stress.
Grip strength is less than before. General abilities in daily life are reduced, even simple actions such as turning keys when opening doors and opening bottles and jars. As the heart muscle pumps less blood throughout the body with age, general activities quickly become strenuous and take a long time to recover.
The body’s metabolic rate (the rate at which the body converts food into energy) slows, which may also be an important cause of obesity and increased “bad” cholesterol in the body.
Effects on bone
Throughout life, bone tissue is in a constant process of resorption and formation, and a dynamic balance between bone resorption and bone formation is basically maintained. This process is known as bone remodeling. As we age, this balance between bone resorption and bone formation is disturbed and there is a greater loss of bone tissue than bone tissue formation.
At this time there is a decrease in the mineral content of the bone tissue, a decrease in the density of the bone and an increase in brittleness.
As a result of the loss of bone, osteoporosis occurs. Osteoporosis does not only affect older women, but recent studies have shown that older men are increasingly suffering from osteoporosis as well. In the spine, osteoporosis can lead to compression fractures or wedge-shaped changes in the vertebrae of the spine and the development of round back deformities. Osteoporosis is also a major endogenous cause of periprosthetic (e.g., intracapsular fractures of the femoral neck and intertrochanteric fractures) and wrist (distal radius) fractures in the elderly.
We think of cartilage as a cushion between bone and bone that prevents direct bone-on-bone friction. This cushion also appears chemically altered at this time. Due to the decrease in water, the cartilage is more susceptible to injury than before. In addition, osteoarthritis develops further after the cartilage has degenerated.
The ligaments, which are the important tissues that connect the bone tissues to each other, are less elastic and less flexible than before.
Effects on the joints
Due to changes in the ligaments and tendons, the mobility of the joints begins to be somewhat limited and flexibility is reduced.
Inflammation and osteoarthritic manifestations occur within the joints due to strain and breakdown of cartilage.
For older adults, the benefits of exercise are obvious. In general, exercise maintains the vitality of the heart, lungs and other vital organs, fosters a positive and optimistic outlook, and promotes the body’s metabolism. Locally, exercise can increase the strength of bone and slow down the development of osteoporosis. Exercise can also improve the strength of muscles and increase mobility. And it can maintain the flexibility of joints, tendons and ligaments.
Some weight-bearing exercises such as walking (which can be considered the best way to maintain bone strength), jogging, hiking, dancing and strength training should be performed. In addition to these, swimming and cycling are also proven methods. Simply add 30 minutes of exercise to your daily routine, be consistent, and you will benefit from it.
It is important to design a training program for yourself based on your abilities and special needs. Most senior citizens, even those over 85 years old, with some chronic diseases or unfavorable activities, can still participate in some less intense exercises. However, before starting to exercise, be sure to listen to the relevant doctor’s advice and obtain his or her consent for safety.
It is important to carry out preparatory activities, which is what we usually call warm-up. The warm-up phase can generally be slow, rhythmic activities, such as slow walking. Slowly increase the intensity of the activity until the heart rate, respiratory rhythm and body temperature rise. In addition, muscle stretching activities can also be performed.
Walking exercise is one of the safe and effective exercise methods. It improves the return blood flow and strengthens the leg muscles. You should choose the right time to exercise. Do not move immediately after eating, and do not rush to exercise when the temperature is high.
Walk about 400 meters a day in the first two weeks, 800 meters a day in the third week, 1200 meters a day in the fourth week, and 1600 meters a day by the fifth week. From the sixth week onwards, exercise five days a week, 1600 meters a day.
It should be noted that it is extremely important for older people to master the intensity of exercise, which should not be excessive. If you feel shortness of breath and nausea during the activity, your breathing does not return to normal 10 minutes after exercise, or your sleep time and quality are affected after exercise, you should stop or reduce the intensity of exercise immediately.
Since middle-aged and elderly people are in a stage of degenerative changes, it is important to avoid mechanical and repetitive movements in exercise so as not to aggravate the process of degeneration. For example, some elderly people mechanically turn their heads and necks, twist their waists and do hundreds of exercises at any time. I do not know, such exercise will accelerate the degeneration of the physiological structure of the spine, there are hundreds of harm rather than good.
In addition, repeated squatting – standing and repetitive up and down stairs, for the knee joint damage, in the long run, will cause osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint and knee joint, should be avoided.
Walking backwards is an exercise method that was once enjoyed by many people. But so far people have not seen its superiority over normal walking, but in the orthopedic emergency, can often see due to backward walking and bruises, fractures cases.
In a word, the elderly should pay attention in the exercise: the intensity should not be too high, the amplitude should not be too large, the time should not be too long, the rate should not be too fast. To pay attention to self-experience, the gradual progress. To use an analogy, the exercise system of the elderly is like an aging machine, which is not functioning as well as before. It should be used with care to keep the machine lubricated and improve the performance of the machine so that it can be used well and for a long time. If you do not pay attention to exercise, the machine will rust, affecting the use; on the other hand, excessive and inappropriate exercise will toss the machine bad, also undesirable.
Life lies in exercise.
Life lies more in proper exercise.