MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF SENIOR EXERCISES

MYTHS THAT PREVENT SENIORS FROM EXERCISING

WHY DO SENIORS AVOID EXERCISES?

As seniors we convince ourselves that "exercise" is not something we can do. We may not believe that we have time to fit senior exercises into our schedule or we may think that exercise becomes unnecessary or dangerous as we get older. For whatever reason, we put off exercising until we feel the effects of aging, when we either wake up and begin a senior fitness program or further curtail our activities to accommodate our reduced physical capabilities. The following
universal myths that surround senior exercising have prevented many seniors from maintaining a healthy lifestyle but exist only in the mind of the individual.

Myth: I'M TOO OLD FOR SENIOR EXERCISS

The fact is that you are never too old to exercise! Your body will benefit from a senior exercises at any age and it's never too late to begin. Beginning even a simple exercise regimen can reverse the damaging toll that aging takes on your body. Nobody expects you to run a marathon tomorrow, unless you are in shape to do so. However, trading TV time for a walk around the block can prolong your life and give you the energy and good health that will enable you to enjoy life as a healthy and productive senior.

Myth: I CAN'T EXERCISE.

Unless you are unable to move, you can exercise. As we age, we have to learn to accommodate certain changes in our joints, muscles, and bones, but this does not mean that we can't undertake senior exercise. It merely means that we have to exercise differently that we would have twenty or thirty years ago. There is always some form of exercise that you can do to maintain and improve your senior fitness.

Myth: I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR SENIOR EXERCISE.

It's a fact that many of us have time commitments that limit the number of hours we have to devote to ourselves. Many seniors have work, family, and community obligations that they feel prevent them from spending time exercising. The fact is that senior exercise can be worked into any schedule. Even if it's as simple as walking to the community center or the store, you can work senior fitness into your life.

Many seniors complain they spend too much time at doctor's appointments to exercise. Perhaps those individuals are spending so much time at the doctor because they have not devoted enough time to exercise. Since we know that exercise improves our health, it is possible to spend far less time with your doctor's if you begin a fitness program that shaves the effects of aging from your body. Instead of constant visits to your doctor, send him a card.

Myth: NOBODY EXPECTS ME TO UNDERTAKE SENIOR EXERCISES AT MY AGE.

It's true that we all have visions of grandmothers and grandfathers who potter in the kitchen and the yard. However, the reality is that, with more than a billion "baby boomers" reaching retirement age in the next few years, the concept of "senior" is being redefined. Today's seniors are the first generation that was exposed to technologies that are now allowing them to live longer and experience more than our own parents and grandparents. Additionally, our own children are requiring more from us than earlier generations did as single-parent households become more prevalent and grandparents move into the role of child care provider rather than slowing down as they age.

As science makes further advances in senior health care and disease prevention, we also have to readjust our idea of what makes a senior a senior. A mere 200 years ago, if an individual had reached the age of 50, he or she was considered a senior. Today we can reasonably expect to live until 80 years of age, and this expectancy is increasing every year.

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Paul bailie is author of this article on Elderly exercises. Find more information about Senior exercise here.

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