PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS - ARTE - 2024

The practice of physical activities by older adults is one of the best ways to maintain health, happiness and even extend life. Sport is not just for young people. More than anyone, older adults should be aware that physical activity has to become a priority in their day-to-day life, in order to extend their lifespan for as long as possible.

We live on an aging planet, the result of the success of health policies, but how much does it take to maintain the elderly socio-economically? Undoubtedly an exaggerated amount that could be reduced with policies to promote sport.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), inactive older adults will see their health reflected as they move from sedentary lifestyle to "a certain level" of activity. This recommendation is extended to any older person, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin or disability, as long as they are adapted to each of their needs.

For this age group, exercise consists of physical activities of a recreational or leisure nature, sports, travel, domestic chores and exercises linked to daily, family and community activities. The aim is for an older adult to dedicate at least 150 minutes a week to physical practice in one of the various ways that we can find.

With this they will be able to improve their cardiorespiratory, muscular, bone health and functional functions, avoid cognitive deterioration and prevent depression or non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Start practicing physical exercise

When you decide to start practicing physical exercise it is necessary to follow some guidelines so as not to fall by the wayside. Before all, consult with your doctor or a sports specialist. He, carrying out health analysis, will be able to tell you what your abilities and limitations are and will define goals. The following tips are extracted from it:

• Do not spend the night in intense sports. Training must be progressive.
• Maintaining regularity is important to avoid injury and achieve successful results.
• Do not play violent, contact sports and do not participate in sports competitions.
• Try to dress up in suitable equipment for practicing sports (shoes, clothing or accessories).
• Be careful with hypothermia or dehydration, very common in sport.

With the guidelines in place, identify a starting point and set short-term goals. Overcoming them through routine will mean success that will last over time.

Try to choose activities not only according to what the body needs, but in which you have fun, socialize and above all help you to function on a day-to-day basis.

It is important to spend approximately five minutes warming up and cooling down. These exercises prepare the muscles for physical activity and prevent injuries and pain or stiffness after the session.

Diet

Finally, combine physical activity with a healthy and balanced diet. One goes hand in hand and apart, failure is assured. These are some of the recommendations of the National Institute of Aging (NIA) when maintaining a healthy nutritional regimen:

• Emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products.
• Includes low-fat meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• It is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.
• Balance the calories in food and drinks consumed with the calories burned through physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

Physical activities for older adults

According to the National Institute on Aging, we can classify the different activities according to their contribution:

- Strength

- Balance

- flexibility

- Resistance

Within each one of them, we sub-classify the different exercises that we can develop to promote a healthy lifestyle.

-Strength exercises

They are exercises designed to develop metabolism and muscles, helping to maintain an ideal weight and to have blood sugar under control.

Exercises to strengthen the upper body

The use of light weights or elastic bands in certain exercises helps build muscle mass. There are many types of weight training as you can practice both sitting and standing. One of the most recommended is to keep the weights at shoulder height while the palms are facing forward.

Specialists recommend to begin with, perform two sets of at least 10 repetitions in two or three exercises with weights or elastic bands.

Push-ups

With this type of exercises the muscles of the arms, shoulders and breasts are worked. However, they are very difficult to execute for most elderly people, because they are very difficult to complete correctly.

To do this, exercise can be transformed in a simpler way and thereby obtain its benefits. One of these modifications is based on the fact that, facing a standing wall, we support the palms of our hands and push against the wall by slowly bending our arms.

We hold for a moment and push back again, until the arms are straight again. To begin, we must do a series of 10 repetitions, always resting each time one is developed.

-Balance exercises

They are based on strengthening the muscles of the legs. This is to prevent falls due to instability, one of the main problems in people of a certain age.

It is estimated that in the United States alone there are more than 300,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures, in the majority of cases suffered by the elderly.

Squats

They are both a strength and balance training, so their benefits are very comprehensive. You should start with basic exercises, which do not involve much effort until the lower body is strengthened at more advanced levels.

You can start with exercises in which the adult squats in front of a firm chair. Keep your knees bent no further than your toes for a few seconds.

Then return to your natural position and take a breath. It is recommended to start with two sets of 10 repetitions, increasing the level as the legs get stronger in the weeks to come.

If the person practicing it has enough capacity and feels confident, they can carry out the exercise without clinging to a chair or firm furniture.

Walking stick self defense

You probably did not know this exercise because its practice and development is very recent. It is a kind of martial art, based on balance, with which, thanks to a cane, you can defend yourself against a possible assault or robbery. It is a very useful exercise but it requires a lot of perseverance.

-Flexibility exercises

The freedom of movement that can be obtained thanks to these exercises allows adults to be more active during their old age and therefore to be more independent.

Lower body stretches

Stretching quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves are good exercise against muscle wasting according to the National Institute on Aging.

To stretch the quadriceps without hurting ourselves, we must grasp a chair with the right hand and bend the left leg backwards while taking the foot with the left hand, trying to bring the thigh closer to the calf.

You should try to keep your leg up for 30 seconds, go down and repeat the exercise with the opposite leg.

Low-impact ancestral techniques

They help improve balance but especially flexibility. Factors such as limited mobility or pain can make it disappear with techniques such as yoga, tai chi, or Pilates.

We can also classify light weight training techniques or exercises in the water within this group.

Thanks to these techniques, postural correction and back muscles are improved, avoiding common injuries such as sprains and strains, fractured vertebrae or herniated discs.

-Resistance exercises

Carrying out resistance exercises helps to improve the physical constitution, especially the cardiovascular and pulmonary, with which many problems can be avoided.

Aerobic activity

Aerobic activity is a great support for older adults to burn calories, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, avoid cardiovascular problems, maintain strong joint movement and increase energy levels.

You should start with 5-minute cardio sessions for a couple of days a week, with this we will gradually increase the heart rate. The aim is to gradually increase the series until completing 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity.

This may take some time, but they are one of the main activities to improve the quality of life of adults.

Walking at a fast pace, tennis, paddle tennis, hiking or swimming are physical activities that we can encompass in this field.

Nordic walk

According to some research, walking 15 minutes a day can extend a person's lifespan up to an extra three years.

Nordic walking is a sport that was born in the Scandinavian countries, which consists of walking quickly leaning on carbon fiber poles. With them it is possible to strengthen the muscles of the pectorals, arms, shoulders and buttocks.

It is a fairly complete exercise, with resistance being its greatest contribution to the body, generating fewer impacts and crashes compared to running. By also having the balance of carbon sticks, its compatibility with the elderly is total.

Complementary activities to promote health in the elderly

Recreational-cultural activities are highly valued complementary activities among the medical community and older adults themselves. These provide a more happy and educational healthy activity because it is more oriented to free time and the participation of family and friends.

Some of these activities are traditional dances and dances, popular games such as the Creole ball or petanque, recreational festivals in which they show their skills, social gatherings, children's games, excursions or visits to historical places or museums.