Fitness and Exercise for the Older Adult

The wave of the fitness and exercise craze has not only hit the young and the obese. Research has shown that you will live longer if you exercise and stay hungry. Not starving, just not full when you finish your dinner. The benefits of exercise do not stop when you get older. It just means that you have to be more careful. You should always consult your doctor before you start any fitness or exercise program or diet. That applies to people of all ages but particularly older people.

There are more people engaged in fitness and exercise programs now than there have ever been. This does not mean that we are fitter and slimmer now than we used to be. Quite the opposite is true. The fact is that our lifestyles have changed over the decades and we simply do not work as hard in our daily lives as our ancestors used to.

We do not walk to work or anywhere else. If we need to go anywhere we use the car even to go to the local shops. And when we go on a trip we buy junk food when we get there instead of bringing a picnic of healthy food with us from home. The health issues aside, this is an unnecessary expense.

The older people will in fact be more likely to continue the fitness and exercise program, than their younger counterparts, because they have been reared with a little hardship and will not see the effort required to reap the benefits as being a "deal breaker". A fitness and exercise activity that is popular with older people is mall walking. Mall walking is great. You are protected from the worst of the weather. And you have a smooth clean surface to walk on with lots of space and you are likely to meet people you know. Just don't go for a coffee and cookie while you do.

Swimming is probably the single best exercise anyone can do. It is ideal for most older people because you can put in as much or as little effort as you like. If you are unable to do other forms of exercise you may still be able to swim or do some form of water-based exercise. The return you get is entirely dependant on the effort you put in and it exercises most of the muscles in the body at the same time without putting a strain on the joints.

This is a time when many of the baby boomer generation are coming to retirement. Baby boomers are an interesting generation. They tend to live longer, eat better, watch their weight and think of fitness and exercise as just another part of their daily lives. Consider no the medical advances made over the last few decades and you can see that this generation is likely to set records for longevity.

As I have often said before exercise is not much use on its own. You must have the right nutrition to sustain your body if you are exercising. Therefore diet is important. An often overlooked and very important part of any good diet is fiber. Make sure that you are taking the recommended foods of supplements. The next most overlooked part of any diet is water. These two elements will be a vital ingredient in any successful fitness program. They keep your body clean on the inside and keep it running smoothly.

The effect on your health and wellbeing of a good fitness and exercise program combined with a good diet is remarkable. But you have to experience it to know. One more thing. When you do go for it, don't expect immediate results. It will be weeks and could be months before you feel the full benefit of the program. I also depends on your starting point. Be patient. Don't give up. It is worth it in the end.