Senior Exercise Tips – Fitness Walking

My husband, the exercise enthusiast in our family, says so often: walking is good for you!  After all, it’s easy, it’s fun, and, he reminds me, it’s free! I have no doubt you hear it all the time too:  walking is good for you!  When I procrastinate he nudges me, “So what are you waiting for?” I certainly procrastinate but I know fitness walking is good and I get on my way. If you are not walking, it’s time to start your own senior exercise program.  Mind you, fitness walking is not a leisurely stroll. It is brisk walking designed to strengthen your cardiovascular system, your heart and lungs, or to lose weight. For this reason, it is also called aerobic walking because aerobic exercise accelerates your heart rate and targets a major muscle group. You can certainly do it on your own but if you need motivation, you can walk with your mate, your children, friends or even coworkers. Simply set a goal for your senior exercise program and if it helps, reward yourself when you reach it. You will look better; you will likely feel better as each step brings you closer to overall good health and wellness.  In fact, did you know that walking is considered by many to be a near-perfect exercise?  

When it comes to exercises for seniors, you may be wondering, how much should you walk? The answer really depends on your fitness goal. A good goal is to be physically active and experience the many benefits of an active person, such as a stronger heart and lungs, toned muscles and maintaining your current weight.  Walking thirty minutes a day, most days of the week is recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College of Sports Medicine. If you can’t find thirty minutes a day, maybe you can break your walks into ten to fifteen minutes because any less than that really isn’t effective.  Consider walking for ten to fifteen minutes in the morning, afternoon and evening. Other positive outcomes of fitness walking are reduced risks of serious disease, faster recovery after injury or illness and reduced risk of falls because of the maintenance of muscle power, balance, and coordination. 

Another question that comes up when you start a senior exercise program is how quickly are you expected to walk to ensure your personal safety?  After all, we are not 21 anymore.  A recent study published in the British Medical Journal announced that senior citizens who walk faster than 3 miles per hour maintain their health longer.  But if you need to walk at a lesser pace, that is okay.  It is most important to do your personal best and develop a consistent senior exercise regimen.  

Before you get started, here are some simple senior exercise tips for safe fitness walking: 

· Visit with your doctor and make certain you have a check-up and a clean bill of health.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medications, both prescription and over-the counter, and identify any medicine or supplement that may cause side effects or interactions such as dizziness or drowsiness. 

· Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.  Update your eyeglasses to maximize your vision if glasses are needed.  If you require glasses for distance, you may want to think about getting a pair with single vision distance lenses for some activities such as walking outside. 

· Before starting a senior exercise program, it is especially important to get adequate calcium and vitamin D, preferably from food but supplements can do the trick. Incorporate weight bearing exercise into your regimen where you can. Besides building lean muscle mass, you will increase your metabolism and likely lose weight.  Everyone enjoys that benefit!  Last, be certain to be screened, use your medical alert systems, and if necessary, treated for osteoporosis.  

· Remember, the primary goal with any form of exercise is to be safe.  In case you experience pain or possibly a fall, a physical therapist can be the right licensed health care professional to help get you back on track. Normally he or she is trained to examine and evaluate health and medical issues in order to help people restore and maximize functional mobility and activities.  After all, you want to be safe, not sorry. 

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