WRITTEN BY WANDA CURTIS
It’s a well-known fact that regular exercise can help individuals lose weight, improve their mental health, and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.
Jamie Williams, CPT and Senior Fitness Specialist at Alfond Youth & Community Center (AYCC), said that exercise not only helps to prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity — all of which are more common in aging adults — but it also helps with joint mobility and balance to help prevent falls.
Light weight training can help increase bone density, Williams said, which decreases with age. In addition, exercise also improves mental health.
“Mental health is improved by releasing endorphins which lower stress and improves your mood,” Williams said. “It helps improve cognitive function such as memory, attention, and coordination. It also slows cognitive decline such as Alzheimers.”
Despite all these known benefits, many adults still don’t get enough physical activity. And the older you get, the more challenging it can become.
Enter Maggie Brown.
As Wellness Director at the Waterville-based Alfond Youth & Community Center (AYCC), Brown said certain exercises can particularly benefit older adults while avoiding stress and pressure on aging knees and joints.
Recumbent bikes are excellent, Brown said, because they’re good for the knees and reduce pressure on the hips, spine, and joints. Recumbent bikes feature a reclined seating position that distributes the rider’s weight over a larger area, so the rider can enjoy some “zero-impact cardio exercise.”
Brown also recommended the following exercises and words of advice.
- Knee extensions are simple and effective in strengthening the quad and knee area. Sit on a chair with legs bent and feet on the floor. Extend one leg from the knee until it’s straight. Then slowly bend the knee, bringing the foot back to the floor.
- Knee flexions are good for the hamstring muscles. Stand straight up behind a chair with legs side by side and then bend one of the knees, bringing the heel to the buttocks and back to the floor.
- Sit-to-stands are also beneficial exercises for older adults. Sit in a chair, then stand straight up, and sit back down. This exercise can help strengthen your core and your ability to raise up from any seat without assistance.
- Bicep Curls can help strengthen your arms. Take a dumbbell in each hand, with arms beside you, and palms face up. Curl the arm at the elbow, bringing the weight toward yourself.
- Tricep Extensions also help strengthen the arms. With one dumbbell in hand, hinge forward slightly at the hips. Bend the elbow of the arm with the dumbbell and make a 90 degree angle. Extend from the elbow, keeping the upper arm still until the arm is straight.
One more unexpected benefit of exercising? It’s a great way to get out of the house and meet new people.
“Exercise is great for socialization, which many people lose as they get older,” Williams said. “Getting into a gym or an exercise class can improve physical health, mental health, and socialization.”
