Staying Active and Alive

Now, we live longer than we used to, but are we enjoying life more? As we grow older, our health and immunity become weaker making us more susceptible to different age-related ailments. As a result, we tend to move less. The less we move, the more likely we are to be sick. This becomes a truly vicious cycle, but it doesn’t have to.

Oxidative stress -- the build-up of "free radicals" that can damage cells -- is a main culprit in the aging process. But restricting calories and increasing the amount of exercise you do every day may reduce the production of the damaging free radicals and have a beneficial effect on antioxidant enzymes that help prevent the damage. Indeed, less food means less energy, but for the overweight population there is a different side to the issue. As long as you eat enough to sustain your activities, your body will adjust to the lower amount of food you eat.

Cardiovascular Activity
Exercise should be the number one priority for all age groups, particularly for the older adult. Regular structured physical activity may allow previously sedentary elderly people to improve physical function, strength, flexibility, boost immunity and increase sexual drive. On the other hand, being active has shown to reduce the likelihood of becoming disabled in the future, prevent weight gain, insomnia, fatigue, feelings of low self esteem, depression, anxiety or lack of confidence. One of the best things you can do to alleviate all the above symptoms, assist the recovery and improve the quality of life is exercise.

Just 30 minutes a day of physical activity will help improve your health and quality of life. It will keep your joints and connective tissues more flexible and even help slow the progression of osteoporosis. Researchers have also found a link between regular exercise and improved immune response. This is because moderate exercise stimulates immune cells which start circulating more quickly through your body and become better at destroying viruses and bacteria.

Exercise may only seem to be too harsh and exhaustive, especially if you suffer from concurring chronic disease. There may be days when you simply feel tired or fatigued, and that’s OK. Everybody has ‘good’ days and ‘bad’ days. But at times when you feel good, exercise can make you feel even better. Use these occasions to build a strong habit of exercising. Interestingly, with time you will notice that the more often you exercise, the more you tend to like it.

If moving is not a problem, then engaging in any activities can be split in 3 ten-minute sessions every day. Moving your body changes the levels of many hormones in a positive way causing endorphins to improve your mood, increase sexual desire, reduce fatigue, lessen nausea and constipation, as well as heighten your self esteem. If you want to stay in shape, prevent disease or just feel better, it comes down to common sense of simply moving your body more and engaging in simple activities like walking, climbing stairs, gardening, or playing with children. Just because you are not in your teens and cannot run like a child doesn’t meant that you shouldn’t be active. There is nothing special about the age – it is all the matter of habit. Moderate exercise should be performed 6 - 7 days per week for at least 30 minutes per day.

Yoga
Yoga can be used as a wonderful way of physical, emotional and spiritual therapy. Regardless of the type of yoga you choose, regular practices reduce stress and alleviate fatigue, bring about a feeling of calmness an relaxation. Being extremely important for elderly, non-impact physical exercise offered by yoga helps to maintain physical strength and even improve muscle functions. Other benefits of practice include stabilizing blood pressure, lowering heart rate and the body’s demand for oxygen, slowing breath rate, increasing lung capacity, improving digestion, increasing feelings of calm and tranquility and improving the immune system.

Choosing a style of yoga that suits your physical abilities and preferences may take some experimentation. Try to take classes of Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Qui, Bikram and Kripaly yoga. They all differ in their approaches, but similarities of increasing flexibility, toning and shaping the muscles, improving posture, and giving an overall better sense of self being unite them into a a system of yoga. Regular yoga practices will extend your awareness of physical, emotional, sensory and thinking levels. With improving flexibility and deepening your breath, you will find that your mind and emotions come into balance and you will feel relaxed yet full of energy.

Tai Chi
Once practiced almost exclusively in China, tai chi has grown to become one of the most recognizable forms of exercise in existence representing a cross between yoga and meditation. It consists of a series of movements and breathing exercises designed to build strength, restore balance and increase flexibility while heightening a state of being. Tai Chi is great for coordination between lower-extremity and upper-body movements.

Although it is practiced by people of all ages, tai chi is particularly popular among the elderly.

Older adults who practice this martial art strengthen themselves against many age-related diseases, such as arthritis, heart disease, cancer, depression, concurring infections, and even a painful and often persistent nerve inflammation called shingles. Tai chi can also improve balance and coordinantion, and reduce falls among elderly people.

Tips for Exercising
• Warm up before you do any exercises. Begin with a slow, rhythmic activity such as walking. Gradually build up the intensity until your pulse, breathing, and body temperature start to increase.

• Don’t do too much too fast. Begin any activity in short sessions and choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Consistency is the most important ingredient of your physical activity. Exercise with a friend – motivating each other will help you both stick to your commitments.

• Try no to let a temporary illness put a permanent stop to your exercising, but use common sense and don’t exercise when you have a cough, fever, cold or flu. After an illness, start your exercise program at the beginning again allowing for some recuperation. Make sure you get a doctor’s approval before you resume any activity.

• Drink lots of water, eat smaller meals, but eat more frequently during the day. When you’re exercising, your body’s fluid needs increase. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink. (Be sure to check with your physician. Some health conditions require restricted fluid intake.)

• Wear the right kind of athletic shoes with good arch support and comfort. Some shoes may look fancy, but this should be least important when it comes to exercise. Nobody will notice your outfit if you look confident and happy – and this will naturally happen when you start moving.

Knowing about the positive effects of exercise is one thing, but actually engaging in physical activity is another. But regardless of your age, shape and fitness status, just doing as much as you can will help you get on a healthy track and stay there.

Elena Voropay is a professional health writer and science journalist with a passion for natural health. She is a Certified Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Iridologist and Herbal Medicine Specialist. For a wealth of information, visit her web sites at www.AustralianNaturopathy.com and www.AustralianFitness.com