September is Healthy Aging Month, an event that encourages people to focus on the continuous process of making lifestyle improvements to keep them physically and mentally healthy. While healthy aging relies on various aspects, such as eating right and getting enough sleep, research has shown that exercise, or movement, is a key component.
The leading common perception today is that slowing down, physically and mentally, is an unavoidable part of aging.
Sadly, there’s some truth to it.
According to the Mayo Clinic, aging changes us. Our bones shrink and weaken, making them at risk for fractures. Our muscles lose strength and flexibility, reducing our coordination, stability, and balance. Our brain’s ability to think fast and clearly and to remember things diminishes. And more.
We can’t stop aging—yet—but we can fortify our bodies against the natural wear and tear of aging. How? One way is exercise.
Exercise—even a few minutes a day—can strengthen our bones, our muscles, our hearts, and our brains, helping us live longer, healthier lives.
All movement is beneficial, but when it comes to giving ourselves the best chance to continue to perform everyday tasks with ease as we age, and therefore maintain our independence longer, the type of movements we do matters.
To slow aging, we need to consider elevating our attention to our functional fitness.
Functional Fitness
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64% of adults aged 65 and older have difficulty performing basic functional actions like picking something up off the floor, reaching to grab a glass from the shelf, getting out of bed, getting up and down from the toilet or a chair, lifting groceries out of the trunk, or moving wet clothes from the washer to the dryer.
Functional exercises, which feature movements such as walking, squatting, bending, pushing, and pulling, mimic these everyday tasks. The better we’re able to perform these movements, the better our chances of being able to enjoy a long, active life, said Dr. Jessica Matthews, health and fitness expert; assistant professor, director, and creator of the Master of Kinesiology in Integrative Wellness program at Point Loma Nazarene University; and author of Stretching to Stay Young.
“To ensure our continued independence and freedom to do daily activities—including self-care—as well as leisure activities that we enjoy, it’s important to develop and maintain quality movement patterns,” she said.
To get the ultimate benefit from functional exercises, The National Institutes of Health recommends that these movement patterns include elements of balance, flexibility, mobility, and strength.
According to ISSA, balance is the ability to remain upright in a steady position, mobility is the ability to move freely and easily, strength makes balance and mobility possible, and flexibility is the ability of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons to elongate through the range of motion.
Functional Fitness Exercises
Do a self-assessment of whether you can do these types of exercises that work on those four key elements. It is not too late to start a fitness routine incorporating some or all of these.
If you prefer group workouts, the following activities target various aspects of physical health, from strength and flexibility to balance and coordination.
Benefits of Functional Fitness Training
Kyle Stull, adjunct professor specializing in exercise science and sports leadership, and content contributor to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, said that “If we don’t move our bodies, we are no different than the car sitting on the lot that eventually rusts. In our bodies, rust shows up as joint dysfunction, degenerative joint disease, and other injuries that arise from lack of use.”
According to Stull, performing functional movement regularly can help us stay rust-free and provide us with the same physical and mental benefits of other types of exercise.
Physical Health
Mental Health
Takeaway: It’s never too late
Functional exercises build strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility, and balance—components critical for shoring up our ability to continue to be our healthiest, most independent selves as we age.
According to Andi Kwapien, master trainer with Silver Sneakers (an exercise program for adults aged 65 and older), her clients who exercise regularly report being able to move better and feel better as they perform their everyday activities, even those who are in their later years.
“It’s never too late to start!” she said.
Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president & CEO of the Alzheimer Foundation of America, said that how well our body ages depends on how well we care for it.
“Eating right, exercising the body and mind, getting proper sleep, and being socially active all contribute to healthy aging and good brain health,” he said.
To learn more about Healthy Aging Month, visit National Today.
To create a customized plan for aging healthfully, contact your doctor or your SENS Solution Health Coach.
References
National Today, Health Aging Month, https://nationaltoday.com/healthyagingmonth/#:~:text=September%20was%20chosen%20as%20Healthy%20Aging%20Month%20to,and%20encourage%20others%20to%20lead%20an%20active%20lifestyle
Mayo Clinic, Aging: What to expect, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070
CDC.gov, Multimorbidity and Functional Limitations Among Adults 65 or Older, NHANES 2005–2012, https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2016/16_0174.htm
National Institutes of Health, Four Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical-ability
ISSA Online, Functional Fitness Training: Senior Edition, https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/functional-fitness-training-senior-edition
SilverSneakers, 7 Functional Movements Every Older Adult Should Be Able to Do, https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/7-functional-movements/
Seniors Mobility, Functional Exercises for Seniors, https://seniorsmobility.org/exercises/functional-exercises-for-seniors/
HealthNord, Exercises for Seniors to Improve Their Mobility, https://www.healthnord.com/en-us/education/exercises-for-seniors-toimprovetheirmobility/#:~:text=8%20Exercises%20for%20Seniors%20to%20Improve%20Their%20Mobility,Tai%20Chi%20...%208%208.%20Balance%20Exercises%20
msn.com, A personal trainer shares one simple longevity exercise you can do anywhere, https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/fitness/a-personal-trainer-shares-one-simple-longevity-exercise-you-can-do-anywhere/ar-BB1lsQvf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=a0c5654f1a994d3eb312f0c0b59ad428&ei=66
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 10 Steps to Promote Healthy Aging and Good Brain Health, https://alzfdn.org/september-healthy-aging-month-2022/