As age progresses, health issues become an increasing concern. To offset concerns, individuals, over the age of fifty-five, have become increasingly active. By doing so, older adults experience improvement in strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. Additionally, physical fitness can result in a reduction in high blood pressure, decreased risks of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, improved sleep and longevity and even relieve pain associated with arthritis. Other benefits, associated with exercise, may include reducing or delaying disability, improving cholesterol levels and controlling weight. All of these benefits are found through a basic exercise program which may include resistance training, aerobic exercise or flexibility programs such as Tai Chi.
Resistance Training
Resistance Training is a very basic exercise program which involves simple weight lifting over several days with increasing amounts of weight over a period of time. By increasing the resistance, progressively over several days, resistance training aides in preventing falls and hip fractures by improving strength, balance and bone mass. In other words, resistance training will increase muscle strength and reduce muscle atrophy and bone loss. A basic program may include resistance rubber bands, free weights or weight machines. A program with as little as two sessions, twenty to thirty minutes in duration, over one week, can provide significant benefits.
Published by Christine Cadena - Featured Contributor on Associated Content in Mental Health.
