How Does Exercising Benefit People Age Fifty and Over?

You may be beginning to think about retirement or already retired and looking forward to having more time on your hands to enjoy the fruits of your labor—whether that’s taking up a new hobby or getting back into your favorite sport. However, it’s essential to pay attention to how much exercise you’re getting during this stage of your life because it may impact how fit and healthy you are as you age.

There are many reasons why people age fifty and over age 50 should be physically active. Still, the single most important reason might be to help prevent age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Exercise has also been revealed to ease stress, decrease blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, and boost older adults’ brain function, mood, and energy levels. Here are some of the main benefits of exercise for people age fifty and over.

Improve Circulation

You’ve heard that high blood pressure increases with age, but did you know your heart is not immune to its effects? Your heart relies on a stable supply of oxygenated blood from your lungs. As we get older, our veins and arteries tend to become less flexible and elastic, slowing down circulation and reducing overall muscle tone. Regular exercise can help pump blood around your body and circulation by increasing flexibility and reducing stress.

Build Bone Density

A key factor to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for people over age 50 is keeping your bones strong. Resistance training—mainly using your body weight—can help increase bone density and improve muscle strength. You can build resistance with exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, or crunches; be sure to take a break if you feel any pain. Walking is an effective way to build up bone density and muscles in your lower body for those who want to get extra active on their feet.

Improve Memory & Cognition

Studies have shown that working out can help improve memory and cognition among older adults. In a Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences survey, men aged 55-77 performed high-intensity workouts twice a week for three months. After each exercise, their performance on verbal memory tests improved significantly. There’s also a recommendation suggesting that aerobic exercise might be particularly beneficial to those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Improves Self-Esteem

Regular exercise helps you gain confidence and increases your sense of self-worth. The more you work out, the more fit and attractive you feel, especially if you see visible results right away. A greater understanding of self-confidence might boost your social life. Exercise can also give you a greater sense of accomplishment in general, which is vital for staying motivated as time goes on.

Reduce Pain & Lower Risk of Injury

As we age, our joints and connective tissues begin to lose elasticity, which increases our risk of injury. Increasing muscle strength and flexibility through strength training and yoga can improve balance and coordination, helping to lessen your risk of falling or injuring yourself. By regularly raising your heart rate with physical activity—20 minutes at least three times a week—you’ll keep your blood pumping effectively.

Stress Reduction

It’s no secret that regular exercise is a great way to deal with stress. When we work out, our bodies produce endorphins, which can increase happiness and reduce stress levels. Exercise is also a unique way to stay active as we get older. It helps us stay mentally alert and even improve memory or concentration issues.

Cardiovascular Health

Regular exercise improves blood pressure, reduces triglycerides, increases HDL (good) cholesterol, decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol, and lowers blood sugar levels—all good news for your heart. It also boosts lung capacity, which can help reduce both asthma symptoms and the risk of lung disease. As you get older, your immune system ordinarily slows down, but regular exercise boosts it by strengthening your muscles and improving blood flow to your vital organs.

Weight Management

As we get older, it becomes more and more challenging to manage our weight; according to a report from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), More than 70% of adults over the age of 50 are overweight. Among those seniors who are at a healthy weight, 25% say they don’t exercise or perform physical activity. Getting regular physical activity is one of several essential factors that can make losing weight easier as you get older. Exercise can also increase your overall quality of life by promoting muscle strength and helping you maintain an active lifestyle.

Social Benefits

In addition to improving physical health, steady exercise can also improve your quality of life, giving you more energy and more time to spend with loved ones. Exercising regularly can help you connect with family and friends because everyone is likely to be on a similar schedule. And improved communication skills mean that relationships aren’t harmed by short conversations when you’re pressed for time. Studies have shown that married couples who regularly exercise together have better sex lives than couples who don’t.

Brain Health

At age 50, your body will slow down and lose muscle mass. Regular physical activity can help counteract these changes by keeping you mentally sharp and bolstering blood flow to your brain. Physical activity can also improve flexibility, balance, bone density, strength, and coordination. It’s essential to choose a physical activity that you enjoy so that it doesn’t feel like work—otherwise, you’ll never stick with it. Some ideas include swimming, cycling, dancing, or going on daily walks around your neighborhood.

While physical activity is generally a good thing and is recommended as part of a healthy lifestyle, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness. What works for someone else might not work for you; what worked last year might not work today. The key is to create a routine that works with your body and supports your health and fitness goals which can be different things. Be sure to consult your doctor before beginning any new workout plan—but overall, working out as you get older should be something to look forward to.

Bone Health and Prevention

The effects of inactivity and aging on bones are dramatic. As we get older, our muscles weaken, and our bones become more fragile, increasing our risk for fractures. One out of three women over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis (age-related reduction in bone mass). The good news is that research has revealed that regular weight-bearing activity slows down bone loss and can also increase bone mass and strength. This is because when you lift weights, your body releases a protein called osteocalcin that stimulates the formation of new bone cells.

As we continue to age it is important to include some form of exercise as part of our daily lives in order to assist in improving our health.  You may want to consider before starting an exercise program to discuss this with your health care provider.

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