Exercise: Not Just Another New Year's Resolution!

Jonathan Wanagat, MD, PhD

This article is the third in a series by Advisory Council Member Dr. Jonathan Wanagat. Dr. Wanagat offers monthly information and updates on healthcare issues of interest to seniors and caregivers.

The New Year is off to a chilly start in the Northwest, making it more difficult for us to keep our resolutions to exercise more, lose weight and take better care of ourselves in 2008. This month, we will take a closer look at exercise, which has been studied extensively and consistently shown to be beneficial, especially as we age.

Unfortunately, older Americans are the least physically active of any age group, although this trend has been improving in recent years. The adage “use it or lose it!” applies to exercise, and moreover, inactivity has been shown to worsen some health problems and even create new ones.

The benefits of exercise are numerous and new ones are cropping up all the time. Exercise reduces your chances of having heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, thin bones, and obesity, and some types of cancer.

 Of course, the mind is closely connected to the body, and exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, delay memory problems and improve sleep. More importantly, not only has exercise been shown to help prevent these health problems, but it can also lessen the impact of these diseases. Few, if any medical therapies, can boast similar benefits!

With so many health benefits, it’s surprising that many of us don’t reach recommended levels of exercise. There are many reasons for this, including a fear of injury, embarrassment, not knowing what to do or how to start, and concerns about expensive equipment or training. Each of these is a genuine concern and can pose challenges to developing and maintaining an exercise regimen. This can be particularly challenging for those of us with activity limitations or disabilities. However, it is important to remember that each of these can be addressed. Such concerns and limitations are different for everyone, and while we all should engage in some form of regular exercise, there is no single exercise regimen that fits everyone.

The different exercise goals and abilities can be matched to many different types of exercise which have been shown to be beneficial. These include aerobic exercise, muscle-strengthening, flexibility/stretching and balance exercises. The amount and level of exercise is as important as the type of exercise, but there is no threshold that one must reach to see the benefits of exercise. Even small amounts have been shown to produce improvements in health.

Naturally, everyone wants to know how much exercise is enough. The answer is not easy or straightforward and will be different for everyone based on their goals and abilities. At the end of this article is a weblink to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). In September, 2007, the NIA published some helpful guidelines on the topic of exercise for older adults.¹ What is clear from the research is that older adults should try to go beyond the minimum recommended amounts of exercise, if they are able, and if they wish to (1) improve fitness, (2) improve management of existing health problems where it is known that higher levels have greater benefits, (3) further reduce the changes of chronic health problems, and (4) prevent weight gain.²

One of the biggest hurdles can be incorporating exercise into one’s lifestyle so that exercise becomes a regular daily routine. Many experts recommend starting with a set of exercise goals and a plan for reaching those goals. This is true for many activities in life—you wouldn’t go shopping without a grocery list, so why would you start an exercise program without goals and a plan?

Your healthcare providers (e.g., physician, physical therapist, nurse practitioner, to name a few) can help identify recommended levels of exercise, develop plans to reach those levels and tailor the exercise regimen to a person’s abilities. Additionally, we are fortunate to have community resources and exercise programs in Seattle and King County, many of which are connected to our Aging and Disability Services.

For More Information

Visit the National Institute on Aging website and order or download the publication Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging.

Sources:

1) Exercise: A guide from the National Institute on Aging. NIH Publication No. 01-4258. September, 2007.

2) Nelson ME, Rejeski WJ, Blair SN, Duncan PW, Judge JO, King AC, Macera CA, Castaneda-Sceppa C. Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39(8):1435-45.

This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.  No physician-patient relationship is created by this article or its use.  Neither the Advisory Council nor its employees, nor any contributor to this Web site, makes any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to the its use.  Dr. Wanagat is acting as an independent professional and not as a representative of the University of Washington.