No matter where you look for news on health issues among seniors, you will find one message common throughout: fitness routines improve quality of life.
The notion that exercise helps one feel better is nothing new, but as individuals transition to senior life there might be too much TLC given to the body as challenges associated with aging are overemphasized.
The challenges may include a decreases in one's sense of physical balance, longer recovery times following strenuous activity, and the everyday aches, pains and maladies associated with growing older.
But news out in the past few weeks continues to emphasize the idea that a fitness routine is precisely what is needed during those times when doubt and worry combine with poor health conditions to make one feel in decline.
A study discussed on the doctorslounge.com website links depression to worsening conditions of arthritic knee pain in the elderly, essentially stating that if one if depressed, and has arthritic pain in the knee joint, one is likely to see the pain of the condition grow over time.
The study supports the idea that anti-depressants might help minimize the pain experienced by patients with arthritic knees, and while that certainly should not be excluded from the treatment approach, there are many exercises specific to knee pain that have been found to provide relief, including those designed to strengthen the hamstrings and quadriceps, which are the major muscle groups that support the knees.
More generally, strength training is cited as a key to overall health in seniors, offering numerous benefits including increasing metabolism, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, lower back pain, depression and colon cancer, according to an article on DailyCamera.com.
The underlying message is that it's never too late to retrain your muscles and regain strength to improve your quality of life.
Seniors suffering from obesity need to factor in diet as a component of dealing with their condition, but according to the New England Journal of Medicine, a program of exercise combined with changes in diet was significantly more effective in improving physical quality of life and weight control.
In Japan, the average person takes 7,000 steps per day, compared to 4,000 by the average American, and this simple of process of walking builds a basic foundation of health, enabling seniors in that country to age well.
While each person faces good days and bad days in the aging process, new and healthy habits can be formed slowly, one step at a time.
(Image Courtesy of SarnieBill on Flickr)
