Exercise classes help seniors stay in shape
Defining exercise levels for seniors is no easy task. Partly, that's because marketers have tried to define seniors at an ever-younger age.
What 50-year-old hasn't felt a pang of surprise the day their application to join AARP arrived in the mail?
Most active 50-year-olds aren't participating in exercise classes for seniors, but the definition of senior is somewhat flexible in terms of fitness.
“Sometimes there's no difference between a deconditioned 55-year-old and a conditioned 75-year-old,” said Patty Cudoc-Gray, active older adult coordinator for the Butler YMCA.
At the same time, Cudoc-Gray admits that most of the “active old adults” —seniors, that is — who participate in her program are 65 to 75 years old. There are a few people in their 50s and a few in their 80s, she said, but they're on the fringes of her students' age spectrum.
Developing a regular exercise discipline has benefits for people of every age, even if they've never exercised before.
“We encourage people to come in three days a week,” she said.
At every age, regular exercise can improve heart and lung health, muscle strength and joint flexibility.
For aging bodies, it has added physical and mental health benefits, including improved mind-body and hand-eye coordination, social networking and camaraderie, potential reduction in the need for some medications and maintenance of personal independence.
However, weight loss is a more difficult goal to reach.
“With Silver Sneakers, the problem is their (participants') metabolism has slowed down because of age,” said Penny Guiste, a Silver Sneakers instructor at Tanglewood Center and at Butler Health and Fitness.
Once metabolism has slowed, weight loss requires healthy eating and limited portion sizes, Guiste said. In addition, weight loss requires sustained activity in the “fat-burning zone,” she said.“It could be discouraging for seniors to try and stay in the fat-burning zone for 20 to 30-minutes,” Guiste said. “You have to figure out who you are, where you are, and how long you can take to get to your goal.”Silver Sneakers and Silver Fit are two patented, preventive health care programs for seniors available through insurance companies which pay for their clients' gym memberships. Age requirements differ among them, reflecting the different perceptions of seniors.At the YMCA for example, the class schedule for active adults includes more strenuous activities such as a cardio circuit, an advanced senior strength class, and Zumbagold, a variation of the popular Latin dance class.In addition, there are warm water classes.“Active adults need guidance, just like a 20-year-old does,” Cudoc-Gray said. “How much weight? How many reps? How is the movement done?”The experience may be the first time a 65- to 70- year-old has exercised regularly, she said.“People gain confidence and motivation by being in a group setting,” Cudoc-Gray said.Silver Sneakers is also a confidence builder. Participants use a chair, resistance bands, hand-held weights and a 6-inch ball to mimic activities they do at home — things like “start your lawn mower,” or “pour me a drink,” Guiste said.“They share with me that tasks are easier for them” after they've become involved, Guiste said.“Their (seniors') muscles respond quicker to exercise than a younger person's do. They get their strength back faster than a younger person.”Though many may be new to exercise, retiring baby boomers as well as retirees from earlier generations are spending more time and money at the gym, Cudoc-Gray said.“Exercise is having a resurgence,” she said.
