Fitness Tips for Seniors
Find out what exercises and workouts are best for older individuals.
Listener Julie recently asked:
“My mother is in her mid-70’s and would like to start exercising. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t want her to get hurt.”
In this article, I’ll answer Julie’s question, explain how your body and fitness needs change as you get older, and give you exercises and workouts that are best for older individuals.
Why Seniors Should Exercise
One of the best anti-aging activities you can do for your body is exercise. For years, it has been widely accepted that we start getting slower, weaker, and more fragile with age. But more recently, this has been proven otherwise by studies on the cellular process of aging and the impressive performances of older athletes.
As a matter of fact, most research is now showing that when it comes to your fitness, if you use it, you lose it far less quickly. And you’ll also age more slowly and have a higher quality of life in your older years!
The Effect of Aging on Exercise Capacity
But it can certainly get a bit more difficult to jump, sprint, and move just as powerfully as you may have been able to do in your younger years. There are a few reasons why:
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Your metabolism decreases with age, by about 10% from your 30’s to your 60’s, and a further 10% from your 60’s forward. This means you main gain fat more easily.
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Your maximum oxygen consumption decreases by significantly each decade from 25 to 65 years of age, and then decelerates even more quickly – which means intense cardiovascular efforts can be very difficult.
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You grow less responsive to energy stimulating hormones called catecholamines (like epinephrine), and as a result, you maximum heart rate decreases, which also can decrease the intensity of hard efforts.
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The total amount of blood your heart pumps per beat and the ability of your muscles to extract oxygen from that blood decrease, which can affect your cardiovascular capacity.
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Your muscle strength peaks around 25 years old, plateaus through 35 or 40 years old, and then begins to decline quickly, with 25% loss of peak strength by the time you’re 65. This is due to a loss in the number of muscle fibers.
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Your tendon, ligament, and joint elasticity is decreased as “cross-linkages” form between soft tissue fibers in these areas. This can cause a loss of 2-4 inches of lower-back and hip flexibility.
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Your bone density decreases as the calcium content of bones gets lower and the matrix inside the bone begins to deteriorate, which can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis or fractures, especially in women.
Good Exercises for Seniors
This article isn’t meant to depress you about getting older! Most of the fitness loss just listed can be drastically decelerated by engaging in regular bouts of physical activity through adulthood and into your older years. As a matter of fact, a 56-year-old recently beat me in an Ironman triathlon – and I’m 29! If someone nearly twice my age can swim, bike, and run me into the ground, then you can certainly maintain fitness as you age.
Based on the list above, good exercises for seniors should include:
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Muscle Strength
Weight lifting machines are perfect for introducing a senior to exercise, especially since there is significantly lower risk of falling or injury. Free weights and elastic bands can be included once comfortable with machines. A 68-year-old friend of mine recently became certified as a TRX instructor, and this is certainly more challenging, but completely do-able for senior exercisers. -
Cardiovascular Endurance
Treadmills can easily be used by seniors, and can actually help with building both cardiovascular fitness and balance, since a rail is there to help. Elliptical trainers and bicycles are also good for cardiovascular endurance, and for beginners, a recumbent bicycle is a great option. -
Metabolism
Rather than simply riding a bicycle at a set pace, seniors should attempt to include a few hard intervals that involve hard breathing and burning muscles. This will help to boost the slowing metabolism. -
Bone Density
Bone grows stronger in response to loading and impact. While impact-sprinting on a treadmill may be difficult for seniors, loading of the bones and spinning along the long vertical axis is a very good idea, and can be achieved with exercises such as squats, overhead presses, chest presses, or lunges. -
Flexibility
While many yoga classes require a degree of balance that can be difficult for seniors, a beginner yoga class is the perfect solution for improving flexibility. In addition, a full body stretch routine can be included after exercise, when the muscles and joints are more warm and pliable.
A Workout Program for Seniors
For an aging individual who is just getting into exercise, like Julie’s mom, I’d recommend starting with the following routine, 3-4 times per week:
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Warm-up for 10 minutes on a recumbent bicycle, alternating 2 minutes of easy pedaling with 2 minutes of hard pedaling.
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Perform a full-body stretch, including flexibility moves for the upper and lower body such as arm circles, leg circles, toe touches, reaching for the sky, and torso twists.
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Do a full body circuit on exercise machines that consists of 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions of chest press, seated row, shoulder press, pulldown, leg press and leg extension and leg curl.
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Finish with abdominal bracing on the ground, which simply involves lying on the ground with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then pressing the low back down and tightening the abs, holding for 5-10 seconds, releasing, and then repeating for 10-12 repetitions. This does not involve low back bending and extending, and can build abdominal strength while being easier on the spine.
Remember, it’s never too late to start exercising So what are you waiting for? Go get fit!
If you have questions about any of these fitness tips for seniors, or your own to add, simply share them below in Comments or on the Get-Fit Guy Facebook page!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
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About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
