Benefits of exercise

Older inactive

adults lose ground in four areas that are important for staying healthy

and independent: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. Fortunately,

exercise programs can maintain or restore these areas.

Endurance.

Exercise increases breathing and heart rate. It improves the health of

the heart, lungs and circulatory system. Having more endurance can improve

stamina for the tasks needed to live independently.

Strength.

Exercise can do more than just increase strength. It gives the elderly

the ability to do things on their own. Even very small increases in muscle

mass can make a big difference in ability, especially for frail people.

Balance.

Exercise is designed to help prevent a common problem in older adults:

falls. Falling is a major cause of broken hips and other injuries that

often lead to disability and loss of independence.

Flexibility.

Exercise helps keep the body limber by stretching muscles and the tissues

that hold the body's structures in place. Physical therapists and other

health professionals recommend certain stretching exercises to help patients

recover from injuries and to prevent injuries from happening in the first

place.

"For the

most part, when older people lose the ability to do things on their own,

it is not because they have aged," said Spiewak. "More likely,

it is because they have become inactive."

A program of

regular exercise has been proved to slow several key aspects of aging

such as loss of muscle and bone allowing physically active adults to perform

like someone much younger.

Based on her

experience with more than 17,000 Kelly home care specialists annually,

Spiewak advises that it's never too late to incorporate fitness into a

senior's daily regimen. First, she says seniors should talk with their

primary care physician before starting any exercise program.

"They

need to find out what form of exercise is beneficial, safe and consistent

with their lifestyle. Unless they have major medical problems that prevent

them from exercising, chances are their doctor will encourage them."

Keeping it going

Seniors who

decide to begin exercising need to start at a level they can manage and

build upon. More importantly, commitment and enthusiasm need to last a

lifetime. The benefits of exercise and physical activity come from making

them a permanent habit.

How much one

exercises depends on their unique situation. For some, muscle-building

exercise might mean pushing more than 100 pounds of weight at the local

gym to keep their legs in shape for hiking or jogging.

"For others,"

said Spiewak, "it might mean lifting 1-pound weights to strengthen

their arm muscles enough to use a washcloth. That might make the difference

in being able to maintain their own care needs instead of being dependent

on someone else. The goal is to improve from wherever you are right now."

For more information

about Kelly Home Care Services visit www.kellyhomecare.com.

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