Our muscle mass and strength decrease as we age; As it slowly declines after the age of 35, the frequency of this decline increases significantly at the age of 65 for women and 70 for men, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
Similarly, everyone’s balance and flexibility decrease with age, due to changes in vision, sensory nerves, joints, ligaments, and more.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people over the age of 65 do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week; Noting that they should perform strength and balance exercises at least twice a week, according to what was reported by the American “CNN” network.
But, are there exercises more important than others for the elderly?
According to Dr. John Higgins, professor of sports cardiology at the McGovern College of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston: “Strength, balance, and flexibility are all important; But, in general, if you are looking to extend your life and improve your quality of life, you should pay particular attention to aerobic exercise. After that, resistance exercises come in next, then balance and flexibility exercises in third place.”
“However, this is highly dependent on the health status of each individual person,” Higgins added. For example, a person with arthritis should focus on joint flexibility first, while a person who has just had a knee replacement should focus on strength training. And if you have osteoporosis, it is important to focus on balance exercises to avoid falls.”
Aerobic exercise improves physical and mental health (Reuters)
Higgins stressed the importance of physical activity in general, to improve mental health and prevent dementia and cognitive decline.
Aerobic exercises, or “cardio,” as they are often called, are those that stimulate your heart rate and sweat glands, including brisk walking, swimming, cycling, running, or climbing stairs.
Resistance exercises, or strength exercises, are those that rely on the use of weights to induce muscles to contract with external resistance. As it increases its strength and size, while the most popular balance and flexibility exercises are squatting, standing on one foot, stretching and yoga.
2023-07-23 12:59:21
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