How Exercise and Recovery Change with Age

Your entire life you’ve been told exercise is good for you. The benefits are plentiful: It keeps your heart and bones healthy, prevents unhealthy weight gain, and improves your flexibility and appearance. But as you age, the advantages of exercising go beyond the obvious. In fact, as you grow older, an active lifestyle becomes more important than ever.

Unfortunately, many seniors assume they are too weak or frail to exercise and fear they will injure themselves. Some have never exercised before and have no idea where to begin, and others associate exercise with doing something strenuous they’re incapable of. While these are all valid concerns, what these individuals don’t realize is that not exercising could pose the biggest risk of all. 

Exercise is the key to healthy aging

As they age, seniors who don’t exercise may begin to find that activities they’ve always looked forward to become a little bit harder. Playing with grandchildren, gardening, and shopping are suddenly challenging rather than enjoyable. This becomes frustrating and discourages many aging adults from engaging in physical activity at all. Regardless of your age or current physical condition, regular exercise can actually help alleviate the symptoms of illnesses or pain that prevent you from doing the things you love. 

Aside from managing pain and illnesses that often come with aging, exercise can also boost your energy, improve your balance, help you maintain independence and prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And, reaping these benefits doesn’t have to involve vigorous workouts at the gym. Anything that gets your body moving counts as exercise. Whether you prefer taking a brisk walk, joining a water aerobics class, riding a bike, or playing a game of tennis, you’ll begin to feel the healing effects of exercise right away.

How recovery changes with age

If you haven’t been active in a while, it’s important not to go “all out” right away. Instead, build up your exercise program little by little and give yourself enough time to recover in between activities. As you age, more rest is required to prevent injury or illness. You can also avoid discomfort by warming up, cooling down, and keeping water handy during and after your workout.

At Bella Vista Health Center, we understand the importance of staying active as you age. However, we also recognize that starting a new exercise routine and sticking to it can be challenging the older you get. This is especially true if you are suffering from arthritis pain or recovering from a surgery or illness. 

That’s why we provide patients in our care with the medical attention they need as well as access to a variety of exercise opportunities in a supportive, nurturing environment. From yoga classes to physical therapy, we do everything we can to maintain a high quality of life for all our residents. Give us a call and schedule a visit to see first hand how our five-star facility can empower you to be your personal best.