Aging adults become less active with age; therefore, there are myths about them engaging in exercise. These myths have indirectly led to sedentary lifestyles in aging adults. With so many myths on exercising routines, aging adults now find it harder to include activity as part of their daily routines.
You might also find yourself in this situation and wondering about what is wrong and right. These are a few exercise myths debunked by independent living in Blythewood, SC:
Walking is Enough For Aging Adults
Walking is essential for everyone and also a form of exercise. It is an aerobic activity; however, it shouldn’t be the only exercise you do. You can engage in weight-bearing and strength-training exercises to improve your balance, muscle tone, and stamina.
All these cannot be achieved if all you do is walk. You usually don’t have to enter the gym; you can do pushups, planks, and squats. You can add dumbbells and resistance bands to the exercise to make it more intense. In addition, yoga will improve your physical fitness as it helps build strength and muscle tone.
Exercising is Associated with Falling
The main goal of the exercise is to improve your balance. Generally, exercises will help you build muscle, improve stamina and help you retain your bone mass. However, these will eventually improve your balance and prevent falling. It is important to balance exercises as part of your exercise routine.
Exercises Don’t make a Difference In Old Age
This is a common misconception regarding exercises in aging adults. Age is not a limitation regarding the impact of exercises on the body. Exercise will help improve your body and mind and keep you from developing chronic conditions.
According to various studies, aging adults in nursing homes can also benefit from regular exercise. The intensity does not matter; just ensure you keep your body busy. In addition, retirement communities offer many amenities to help you stay fit.
Exercise Does Not Prevent Illness
Inactivity can lead to a sedentary lifestyle in aging adults, and their health might worsen. This is because inactivity can cause chronic illness and frequent visits to the doctor. However, exercising in your routine will help control your body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. It also prevents heart attack and stroke and lowers the risk of arteries hardening in aging adults.
In addition, regular exercising prevents osteoporosis through the proper conditioning of your bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. It promotes proper digestion, manages arthritis, low-back pain, and diabetes, and reduces the risk of injury. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of cancer in aging adults.
Exercise Will Cause Joint Pain
Regular exercising is helpful for aging adults with arthritis. It reduces the pain and enables them to enjoy better joint function. Generally, arthritis makes daily tasks like bathing and cooking unbearably since they will mostly experience joint stiffness.
However, aging adults can lessen this pain by engaging in flexibility exercises for the upper and lower joints of the body. It is preferable to opt for short exercises to reduce the impact on your body. Break the exercises into sessions, and the strengthening exercise does not have to be done every day.
