Elderly Health and Fitness

State of Elderly Health and Fitness

Overall, changes in diet and awareness mean that today’s senior citizens are healthier than those in the Western world have ever been. If they are educated and financially solvent, chances are they are also taking excellent care of themselves. Even those who aren’t in the higher income brackets know the importance of a healthy diet and a reasonable exercise routine. Freed from the pressures of daily work and child-rearing, people can focus on the needs of their bodies and find that keeping the body fit is good for the brain as well. Group exercise makes for a fun social activity, which is also good for the mind and spirit.

Unfortunately, there are many elderly who haven’t the knowledge or means of eating well and exercising. Preventive care, such as learning to avoid falls and other accidents that can permanently affect one’s strength and capacity at a certain age, is crucial. Community education and outreach programs can do a lot to assist and improve seniors’ health. Even improving the nutritional quality of Meals on Wheels offerings would do a lot to ensure that poor, house-bound seniors are getting the nutrients they need. A focus on preventive care is also good for the economy. Healthier seniors in all walks of life mean fewer resources being spent on emergency room care and state-run nursing homes.

Adopting Asian Exercise Routines

Elderly health and fitness is nothing new in Asian societies. The ancient Chinese practice of tai chi has been performed by elderly people for centuries and many credit it with maintaining excellent health and fitness, as well as mental acumen, throughout their long lives. In fact, Chinese hospitals use tai chi combined with conventional medicine as part of their health care programs. Tai chi, best described as a cross between yoga and meditation, is said to reduce stress, increase circulation and improve breathing, as well as balance and flexibility, which are of extreme importance for seniors. Serious practitioners say that it provides resistance to disease via increased energy and enhances organ functions. While this is not proven, tai chi has been proven to ease the pain of arthritis without the use of medication. Performing tai chi for as little as three hours a week can increase vigor in all other activities. Best of all, you don’t have to join a gym. The Chinese traditionally perform tai chi outdoors, which is considered optimal for good breathing, and so you can find tai chi classes in many local parks. Most recreation centers offer the classes as well, for little or even no fee.

Seriously Active Seniors

You read about them almost every day: the grandmas running marathons, the grandpas breaking swimming records. In countries like Norway, however, this is hardly news; excellent elderly health and fitness is simply part of the terrain. Raised on a diet heavy in fish and in an environment that demands a lot of physical activity – unless you’re very urban, you start cross-country skiing at a young age simply to get around in the winter – Norwegian seniors are some of the healthiest on the planet. Doctors looking to specialize in gerontology go to Norway to study the seniors there and have found men in their 90s in better shape than some Western men in their 30s. You don’t have to be raised in Norway to be that healthy, however. Simply adding fish oil to the diet and a few extra hours of activity a week will improve health and fitness considerably. Turns out an ounce of prevention really is worth its weight.