Also called: Also called: Seniors' fitness
There is a fountain of youth. Millions have discovered it - the secret to feeling better and living longer. It's called staying active. Finding a program that works for you and sticking with it can pay big dividends. Regular exercise can prevent or delay diabetes and heart trouble. It can also reduce arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. It can help older people stay independent.
There are four main types of exercise and seniors need some of each:
- Endurance activities - like walking, swimming, or riding a bike - which build "staying power" and improve the health of the heart and circulatory system
- Strengthening exercises which build muscle tissue and reduce age-related muscle loss
- Stretching exercises to keep the body limber and flexible
- Balance exercises to reduce the chances of a fall
National Institute on Aging
- Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide(National Institute on Aging) - Large PDF file - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/ExerciseGuide/
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Exercise and Physical Activity: Getting Fit for Life(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/exercise.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/Ejercicio/introducción.htm
- Exercise for Older Adults(National Institute on Aging) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/toc.html
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Exercise for the Elderly(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/staying/754.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/staying/754.printerview.html
- For the Young at Heart: Exercise Tips for Seniors(American Physical Therapy Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=20451&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm
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JAMA Patient Page: Fitness for Older Adults(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/300/9/1104.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/300/9/1104/DC1/1
- Seniors and Exercise(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00380
- Muscle Mass Won't Grow in Women Over 80(04/03/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82526.html
- High Strain, Low Strength Up Knee Arthritis Risk(02/13/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_80354.html
- Growing Stronger - Strength Training for Older Adults(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger/spotlight.htm
- Warm Up, Cool Down and Be Flexible(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00310
- Exercising with Arthritis: Improve Your Joint Pain and Stiffness(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/arthritis/AR00009/METHOD=print
- Exercising with Osteoporosis: Stay Active the Safe Way(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/osteoporosis/HQ00643/METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Frailty in Older Adults(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/296/18/2280.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/296/18/2280/DC1/1
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Young at Heart: Tips for Older Adults(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/young_heart.htm
Also available in Spanish http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/personas_mayors.htm
- Target Heart Rate Calculator(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Target_Heart_Rate_Calculator.asp
- Exercise for Older Adults(National Institute on Aging) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/toc.html
- Effects of Aging(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00191&return_link=0
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Exercise for Seniors(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=senior+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D+AND+exercise+%5BTREATMENT%5D
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Physical Fitness for Seniors(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=senior+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D+AND+%22physical+fitness%22+%5BALL-FIELDS%5D
- Article: Exercise may slow or reverse brain decline. Aerobic exercise benefits... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19367766&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Usefulness of peak exercise oxygen consumption and the heart failure... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19327430&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Post-exercise assessment of cardiac repolarization alternans in patients with coronary... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19324258&tool=MedlinePlus
- Exercise for Seniors -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(exercise[majr]+OR+physical+fitness[majr])+AND+aged[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/
- President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports - http://www.fitness.gov/
- 8 Great "Whys" Seniors Should Exercise - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter09/articles/winter09pg9.html
- Exercise and Physical Fitness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html
- Seniors' Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniorshealth.html
- Sports Fitness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sportsfitness.html
- Fitness and Exercise - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fitnessandexercise.html
- Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html
- Wellness and Lifestyle - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wellnessandlifestyle.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Exercise for Seniors is the National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/