Training tips for seniors that show: Even small steps are important.
The main thing is movement. Even as a fish you stay in the shot.
Getty
Regardless of whether you are a sports fan or someone who doesn’t like exercise, by the time you reach retirement age you should think about how you can keep your body fit in the autumn of your life. Physical activity significantly increases the quality of life – among other things, because we stay mobile longer and exercise also has a positive effect on mental health.
But what should you pay attention to when training? How do previously inactive people find more exercise? And how do you deal sensibly with the psychological component of declining athletic performance?
“The decisive factor is the feeling of subjective under-challenge,” says Andreas Steinegger, deputy head of youth and adult sports at the Federal Office of Sport (Baspo). For example, if you come home from cross-country skiing and can say: “I could do a little more.” This ensures that you stop before you are exhausted. This way you can prevent injuries and at the same time keep your motivation high.
It is noteworthy that today you can take every little unit of movement into account in your daily exercise target: “Every step away from little exercise – no matter how small – is important and benefits your health,” says the ” Exercise recommendations Switzerland».
The previous requirement that exercise should be completed in at least ten-minute segments has been abandoned. The recommendation for the total duration has been increased and is currently at least two and a half hours of exercise or sport per week for women and men of retirement age. In contrast to the past, higher intensity units are no longer necessarily discouraged.
Exercise helps with illnesses of the body and mind
Today we also know that exercise has a positive effect on almost every illness: “Of course there are moments when you shouldn’t do it,” says sports expert Steinegger, “but physical activity promotes blood circulation in our system – and only when organs and… If cells are adequately supplied, they can regenerate.” This recommendation now even applies to cancer, for which previously care was usually prescribed because it was assumed that exercise promoted the formation of metastases.
Exercise is also used to prevent dementia: although the exact reasons have not yet been fully researched, it is assumed that blood circulation plays a crucial role here too.
Thanks to the new exercise recommendations, it doesn’t always have to be sport. Exercise can also be incorporated into everyday life: for example in the house, in the garden or when going to the shopping center, which if you lack exercise is best done not by car, but by bike, on foot or in combination with public transport.
If you still want to do sport, Steinegger recommends the three Cs: strength, fitness and coordination. He does not specify any restrictions regarding sports, but he advises caution with stop-and-go movements such as tennis or football – the latter also because the risk of injury from possible collisions with opponents is greater.
Comparisons with peers are more motivating
Anyone who was ambitious when they were young or middle-aged may have difficulties with their declining performance as they get older. You don’t have to give up competitions, but you should always compare yourself with your own age group. In this regard, Steinegger welcomes the development in Germany and the USA, where there are so-called master classes for seniors for almost every sport.
Steinegger, however, has some hard-to-digest news for passionate outdoor fans or pure gamers: “As you get older, there is actually no way around strength training in the gym. We can only slow down muscle breakdown with targeted strength exercises.”
Theoretically, you can do strength exercises such as push-ups or squats at home, but guided movements on the strength machine are more efficient and safer, and you can use them to specifically train weak areas. In addition, the resolutions are easier to implement in the studio. If you don’t want to use the weight machine at all, group fitness such as yoga or Pilates with a focus on strength is recommended.
Strength training is also recommended for osteoporosis: those who stay strong have a lower risk of falling. In addition, bones surrounded by muscles break less quickly. And the skeleton only remains strong if it is regularly stressed.
Regular stress on the skeleton can also be achieved through endurance sports such as jogging or mountain hiking. The shocks caused are a strong stimulus for the body, which has a positive effect on bone density. Naturally, the force mainly affects the lower extremities and a different strategy must therefore be pursued to strengthen the bones in the upper body.
And the social aspect of sport and exercise should also be emphasized: sporting activities are a good opportunity to socialize with people – and therefore not only protect against falls, but also against loneliness.
Training tips for old age
Apps: If you’re looking for exercise instructions for older people, you’ll find them on your cell phone, among other places. There are numerous apps that are recommended for seniors. For example, “Exercises for Seniors”, “Sensalus” and “Workout for Seniors”. However, none of them are very elaborate and do not offer any spoken instructions. That’s why you’re probably more likely to achieve your goal by choosing a general fitness app, such as “Freeletics”, “Seven” or “Asana Rebel”.
Tutorials: There is also interesting input on YouTube. For example, the channel “Stay young in motion” by state-certified gymnastics teacher Gabi Fastner has around 670,000 subscribers. The advantage of YouTube tutorials: As a rule, a person guides you through the exercises and you can simply join in in front of the screen and can also pause and rewind. In addition, by looking at the number of subscribers and the total number of views, you can get an initial assessment of whether the clips are any good at all.
brochures: The guide “Swing, Cooking, Becoming a Flamingo” from Hepa Switzerland, the network for health and exercise in Switzerland, provides very low-threshold tips. The booklet is available for download on the Internet, offers 19 so-called movement snacks and is also suitable for activating very old people. This makes it an ideal souvenir for a visit to the grandparents. The best thing to do is to implement one of the twenty movement suggestions straight away – and go on a treasure hunt together, try being a flamingo or paint pictures together in the air.
An article from the «»