Exercise Can Add Years to Your Life

We all have heard our doctor tell us to exercise, but it really can add years to your life. Still, as we age it can become more tedious and sometimes more difficult to exercise. Many people see aging as a time to slow down and take it easy. The reality is the more we age, the more we need exercise to keep us independent and healthy. Exercise is important for almost everyone. There are very few medical conditions that exercise won’t benefit.

Around age 35 is when our muscle mass and resting metabolism starts to decrease. When this happens our bodies require more, not less exercise to manage our caloric intake. When this starts to happen we can eat the same things, do the same things and may gain 3 pounds a year. That’s 30 pounds in a decade.

Though exercising is beneficial to nearly everyone, before starting a program consult a doctor to determine your baseline and to get guidance about what exercises would be most beneficial. The best workout program balance cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility.

Each decade of life has unique challenges.  Here are some ideas of how to use exercise to counter health hurdles.

In Your 50s:

Muscle and joint aches and pains start becoming more apparent, so get creative about how to keep up cardiovascular exercise that is easy on the joints but gets the heart rate up. You can exercising in a pool or ride a bike instead of running. If you do run, make sure you have good shoes and try to run on softer surfaces.

Cardiovascular exercise also helps to fight many of the most common and deadly medical concerns, including heart disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But don’t go from doing nothing to running a marathon. Talk to your doctor, ask about risk factors and together create a plan that’s right for you.

Another nearly universal complaint for people in their 50s is back pain. The best way to protect your back is to build strong core muscles and make sure you are lifting heavy objects correctly.

In Your 60s:

As we enter our 60s, balance and strength should be a major focus. Many people are scared of breaking a hip which can limit independence. Also, our bones aren’t as strong and both men and women become more susceptible to osteoporosis.

To help battle these concerns incorporate balance and leg strengthening exercises to increase flexibility as well as balance to help prevent accidental falls. Weight-bearing exercise is crucial to bone health and keeping bone density strong.

In addition, many adults in their 60s begin to experience symptoms from arthritis, which can make exercise difficult. Still, exercise has been proven to help people deal with their arthritis. It’s just making sure your exercise routine is working for you, not against you. Some people forget that walking is a great form of exercise, just make sure you get your heart rate up. Also, aquatic classes or swimming are a great way for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia to exercise.

In Your 70s and Beyond:

The biggest worry I hear from my patients who are entering their 70s, 80s and beyond is dementia. The two most common forms are Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia. Exercise is the only thing that is proven to prevent Alzheimer’s. And, many of the major risk factors for vascular dementia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, can be countered with exercise.

Exercise is important, but it’s not the end all. It needs to be coupled with eating right and incorporating other healthy habits to lead to a better quality of life.

Dr. Kevin Polsley is an integral part of the Loyola University Health System’s primary care team. He specializes in adult internal medicine and pediatrics and enjoys seeing patients of all ages from infants to older adults at the Loyola Center for Health at Homer Glen. In addition, he is an assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in the departments of internal medicine and pediatrics. When not seeing patients he enjoys time with his wife and preschool daughter, hiking and music