Senior physical exercises can, and will improve your cognitive function and will slow down the aging process, provided they are done properly and regularly.
The investigation of cognitive function is one of the most exciting areas of exercise research. So far, scientists have learned that brain neurons, the special cells that help you think, move, perform all bodily functions and even help your memory, all increase in number after a few weeks, or even days or regular physical activity.
The losses in these areas, however, were considerably reduced as a function of cardiovascular fitness. Basically, the fittest individuals had the most brain tissue.
How Can Senior Physical Exercises Help Your Cognitive Function?
In another meta-analysis of older adults, researchers found that the fittest individuals had the highest scores in tasks such as scheduling, coordination, planning and memory.
Moreover, a recent study of 1,740 adults older than 65 found that the incidence of dementia in individuals who walked three or more times per week was as much as 35 percent lower than those who walked less than three days per week.
According to research, as many as 14 percent of males and 18 percent of females over age 55 are depressed. Exercise can alleviate symptoms of depression in younger adults and even have similar effects to antidepressant medication or psychotherapy in terms of effectiveness, however there is very little research on the effects of exercise and depression in older adults.
Regardless, it would be fair to say that exercise has a mood-lifting effect in most adults, be they younger or older, even if it may not cure depression in the elderly.
The American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association has recently published some valuable guidelines for senior physical exercises, as follows:
- Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, biking and so on can be extremely helpful. In order to promote and maintain their health, older adults need moderate-intensity senior physical exercises, with aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes three days per week.
- Resistance exercise
Resistance exercises with weight lifting and calisthenics will also have great benefits. To promote and maintain health and physical independence, older adults should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week. Eight to ten exercises are recommended, on two or more non-consecutive days per week, using the major muscle groups.
In order to maintain the flexibility necessary to perform regular senior physical exercises and handle daily activities, older adults should perform exercises that maintain or increase flexibility at least two days each week, for at least 10 minutes each day.
Older adults with substantial risk of falls (with frequent falls or mobility problems, for instance) should perform exercises that maintain or improve balance in order to reduce the risk of injury from falls.
Senior physical exercises do not mean that once you have become a senior, you should try to make up for years of inactivity overnight. On the contrary, you should start slowly and build up gradually, otherwise you could get injured.
Just ten minutes of walking for starters will suffice, and allow you to slowly start exercising more seriously. Add some stretching when you finish your walk, and you will feel better within days.
In addition, one of the best ways to motivate yourself is setting goals. You can set a weekly exercise plan for the following week. Write down the days of the week, what time of day, minutes of activity, and the activity you will be doing. Be as realistic and specific as possible – it’s important to get started, not how much exercise you actually do when you start.
Keep setting and reviewing your goals weekly for at least three months, it will help you stay on track and include senior physical exercises in your routine as a habit.