Older Adults NEED to Exercise

Everyone should exercise because fitness is a cornerstone of a complete life. 

However, older adults NEED to exercise in order to age optimally. 

This is due to a variety of physiological factors that occur as one grows older. 

This article will discuss the reasons why older adults need to train and what exercises older adults should do within their training. 

Why Training is Necessary for Older Adults

As someone who has worked with older adults (65+) for multiple years, I have seen first-hand how important training is to improving and maintaining a high quality of life for senior citizens.

As humans age, a variety of factors become apparent that make it harder to train. 

These factors include:

• Aerobic capacity decreasing
• Sarcopenia increasing
• Progressive decline in muscle power
• Reduced ranges of motion specifically at the spine, hip, and ankle

 Let’s break each of these down further.

Aerobic Capacity Decreasing

Aerobic capacity is a measure of max oxygen intake during exercise. 

People with higher aerobic capacities are less likely to get out of breath with moderate exercise and typically have healthier heart and lungs. 

Aerobic capacity is a factor that actually begins decreasing after a person reaches the age of 25. 

As you can imagine, a senior citizens’ aerobic capacity has decreased by quite a bit by the age of 65.

However, regular aerobic training can help resist this natural decrease in aerobic capacity.

Sarcopenia Increasing

Sarcopenia is a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength.

One of the main factors leading to its rise is age, as rates of sarcopenia accelerate after 65.

In the elderly population, it can be associated with many of the harmful factors of aging such as: 

• Reduced bone density 
• Disabilities
• Decreased strength and mobility

Progressive Decline in Muscle Power

One of the less talked about factors that happen as we age is our decrease in muscle power.

Power can be thought of as a combination of strength and speed. 

Therefore, a loss of power is a big deal because it means as we age, both our strength and speed decreases. 

This can make daily activities such as standing up, either from the floor or from the ground, very difficult.  

Therefore, a good resistance training program should help older adults regain some of their power. 

However, training for power can be a bit dangerous because of the high amounts of force it can place on the body. 

For this  reason, I recommend that most older adults without long training histories should probably seek the aid of a fitness expert. 

The good news is that because power is a combination of strength and speed, regular resistance training can increase power. 

Therefore, while power can be specifically trained, it may not need to be specifically trained.

Seniors citizens can regain their power by regaining their strength through resistance training.

Reduced Ranges of Motion

The last factor to discuss that changes as we age is range of motion. 

We lose our flexibility and mobility as we age. 

The three joint where we lose the most range of motion are the:

• Spine
• Hip 
• Ankle

This loss in range of motion is further exaggerated by a sedentary lifestyle. 

For this reason, all training programs for older adults should include some form of mobility training.

These four factors that change as we age teach us that older adults need specific types of training to age optimally. 

 They need to engage in:

• Strength training
• Cardiovascular training
• Power training (optional)
• Mobility training

In addition to these factors, there is another very important reason why older adults need to train.

 Getting in Touch with Your Body

Many older adults, due in part to sedentary lifestyles (brought on by having grown children, retirement, less daily duties, etc.) have gotten out of touch with their body. 

They don’t train their body, so they have no idea what their body is capable of.
This can be especially dangerous because the body is constantly changing.

Therefore, one of the most important factors that needs to be accounted for when training older adults is reintroducing them to their body in a safe manner. 

This can be done through training because the very essence of training is self-exploration.

Training is all about finding your limits and surpassing them. 

I have a 4 step process for reconnecting my client with their bodies.

1. Find an exercise or activity that feels comfortable 
2. Do it repeatedly. 
3. Then, push the boundaries slightly by finding something slightly less comfortable, and doing it repeatedly. 
4. Repeat

These simple steps can lead to miraculous physical transformations!

Let me give you an example.

In this example, we’ll explore progressing to the regular pushup using 3 different pushup variations .

The Regular Pushup: The Hardest Variation of the 3

Incline Pushups: The Intermediate Pushup Variation

Wall Pushups: The easiest of the 3 pushup variations

 If I had a nickel for every elderly client I’ve worked with who has looked at me like I was insane when I have asked him to do a push-up, I would be rich!

Initially, the push-up with good form may seem like an intimidating exercise for anyone, let alone elderly people!

However, if the pushup is progressed and regressed in the right manner, it can become quite simple. 

Step 1

The conversation normally goes like this:

First, let’s try a regular pushup. 

Too hard? Try it on your knees. 

Knees pushup are too hard? 

Try it on an incline. 

Incline pushup too hard? 

Try it against a wall. 

By this point, most clients are now comfortable with trying push ups and we’ve completed Step 1.

This is because the load they are pushing has been greatly reduced by making the body more vertical.

Now that they have found something comfortable, it’s time for Step 2 of the process.

Step 2

Does the wall pushup feel comfortable? Okay, do 5 of them.

No pain? Do 10 of them.

No pain? Do 20 of them.

Now that they have found a comfortable exercise and become quite skilled at it by doing a lot of repetitions, we need to do Step 3 and find a slightly less comfortable/more difficult exercise.

My method is to use the same path that I took down the ladder from the regular push-up to the wall pushup back up the ladder to the regular push up. 

Steps 3 and 4

No pain? Time to work your way back up the ladder by starting with incline pushups and making them comfortable.

Training this way can be slow and humbling, but as I said before, it can lead to miraculous transformations and greater awareness of the bodies’ limitations and capabilities!

Exercises for Older Adults

Often, older adults have asked me, “What exercises should I do?”

My answer is always the same: “The same exercises as everyone else!”

My 6 favorite movement patterns that everyone should be proficient in are:

A better question to ask is, “What exercises can’t you do?”

Every able-bodied human being should be capable of walking, running, jumping, crawling, sitting down, standing up, hanging, etc. 

Find what you can’t do and build your program around that!

That is where my favorite six movement patterns really come in handy. 

Being strong in these movement patterns will help you to bridge the gap between what you can do and what you can’t do.

For example, getting stronger at pushups can help you build the strength to crawl or stand up from the floor.

Cardiovascular Exercise

For cardiovascular training, my recommendation is always very simple. 

Start walking. 

For many individuals, walking has a low risk of injury and many rewards!

Making time to walk for a few minutes (10-15 minutes) 2-3 times a week can have a large effect on cardiovascular health. 

As far as how fast to walk, I always recommend that you walk at a pace where you find it difficult to talk.

When walking to increase our fitness levels, we want to walk at a pace where we feel slightly uncomfortable, but not completely out of breath.

Progressing to faster forms of moving such as jogging or sprinting is not always a great idea.

They can place a lot of stress on the joints!

Instead focus on walking further, longer, and/or on inclines to progress and stay healthy!

 Stretching/Mobility Exercises

For mobility training, I recommend that most older adults spend a few minutes (10-15 minutes) 2-3 times a week doing static stretching.

Make sure not to stretch to the point of high discomfort.

When your muscles can’t relax because you are uncomfortable, stretching becomes less effective.

Hold stretches until the point where you feel slightly/mildly uncomfortable.

Did anyone find this article helpful? Make sure to comment on any questions that you have about training for older adults down below!

Peace!