Research studies recommend that adults and senior adults should perform a minimum of 150 minutes a week of exercise. This physical activity should include the four main categories exercise: stretching, balance, endurance, and strength.
"Fit in 10" is a research-based collection of physical activity resources including the "Increasing Physical Activity as We Age" Fact Sheets, posters, and an exercise DVD.
The DVD can be ordered online here for $10 (plus shipping, handling, and sales tax).
The benefits of regular exercise for people of all ages have been well established in the literature. Regular physical activity and exercise are associated with decreased risk of death and/or disability from pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and pulmonary disease. It is also associated with positive psychological benefits such as decreased depression and improved quality of life.
Stretching exercises keep your body flexible by stretching the muscles and tissues that hold your body structures together. Stretching is not only recommended to prevent injuries but also to recover from injuries.
Learn more: Stretching
Balance exercises build up your leg muscles and/or focus on your stability. These exercises help prevent falls, a major cause of broken hips and other injuries that often lead to disability and loss of independence.
Learn more: Balance
Endurance or aerobic exercise increases your breathing and heart rate, which improves the health of your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Increased endurance keeps you healthier and improves stamina for daily activities.
Learn more: Endurance
Strength training or weight lifting makes you stronger by building muscle. This increased strength allows you to perform daily activities on your own.
Learn more: Strength Training
Resistance tubes offer numerous exercise options. Whether being used for adding muscle tone, muscle strength, burning fat or simply increasing flexibility, resistance tubes are a very easy way to add something different to your daily exercise routine or to start a workout routine.
Strength training for health is, for the most part, very different than body building. Medicine balls are an effective strength training tool for building core strength. This includes your abdominal muscles and your lower back. Medicine ball exercises can involve twisting, turning and bending motions that may not get incorporated into traditional strength training exercises.
Learn more: Strength Training with Medicine Balls
See more: Toss it Around: Strength Training with Medicine Balls
Most adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Exercises targeting the muscles of the lower back, hips, buttocks and hamstrings can increase strength and flexibility. Increased strength and flexibility in the muscles supporting the back may very well prevent or reduce back pain.
Learn more: Exercises for Low Back Injury Prevention
See more: Back to Basics: Exercises for Low Back Injury Prevention
There are multiple ways to ways to strength train and performing floor work will give another dimension to an exercise program.
See more: Hit the Floor: Strength Training with Exercise Mat
Stability balls work the core while you work your other muscles. This routine will challenge on multiple levels.
Learn more: Get on the Ball: Strength Training with Stability Balls
Your body changes as you age, but those changes don't have to lead to health problems or limit your independence, energy or enthusiasm for the activities you enjoy. By making healthy lifestyle choices, you can prevent certain health problems and keep chronic conditions from getting worse. Combined with physical activity, eating nutritious foods in the right amounts can help keep you healthy.
Learn more: Eating Healthy as You Age