We all know that exercise is good for us. But what levels and types of exercise should we be doing as we get older? My clients in Oakland who fit this demographic are encouraged to maintain as active a lifestyle as possible. I put together a number of activities at Next Level that focus on these main aspects of fitness:
- Balance
- Aerobic
- Strength Training
- Stretching / Flexibility
- Sleep* ( in addition )
1. Balance: The #1 cause of hospital admissions for older adults is slips and falls. Wobble boards, foam pads or standing on one foot. Practicing balance drills will help significantly minimize your risk for hip, back and head injures.
2. Aerobic: A strong cardio-respiratory system is essential to helping you maintain an active ambulatory ( the ability to move ) lifestyle. Walking, biking, running, swimming , Treadmill, elliptical or rower can help you maintain a healthy relationship between your heart and lungs.
3. Strength Training: Regular strength training using your body weight , weights or various exercise tools such as ; rubber bands, medicine balls, bar bells, TRX can help you develop the necessary strength in your:
Upper Body: chest, back , arms
Lower Body: Legs
Core: Abs and Back
Maintaining strength in these areas will definitely ensure that you will have the power and confidence to navigate the daily obstacles we encounter in our lives.
4. Stretching: Without getting into a lot of detail, WE NEED TO STRETCH EVERYDAY OF OUR LIVES!!! Flexibility can be a challenge as we get older. At Next Level we stretch before and after we exercise. It helps in exercise preparation and also in post exercise recovery. The main purpose is minimizing muscle soreness.
5. Sleep: Who doesn't like to do this ? The key to getting good sleep:
- Know when to go to bed
- Minimize light in your room
- Don't eat late
- Don't watch to much TV before bed.
Sleep benefits all ages. But as we head into our senior years restful sleep can help our mental acuity. Practice these sleep concepts as much as possible until it becomes your normal routine and you'll begin to see you getting longer and more quality sleep.
Practicing B.A.S.S is a foundational approach that I use at Next Level Fitness to help my clients; as we get older ; maintain as independent a lifestyle as we can.
If you feel your ready to get to your Next Level. Please reach out to me and you can start in either a 1-1 or small group training sessions.
Yours in Fitness,
A. Pigott DC
