Lifestyle

Making time for physical activity has always been important. But as you age, exercise becomes even more crucial. It boosts your energy, as well as helps you maintain your independence and manage symptoms of illness and chronic conditions, according to Helpguide. No matter how nutritious your diet may be, exercising on a normal basis is key for healthy aging.

Remember: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends older adults dedicate at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity with two or more days focused on strength training exercises.

Here are six of the many health benefits of regular physical activity:

1. It helps you maintain your weight
   Metabolism slows down with age, often causing you to gain weight and making it more difficult to maintain a healthy one. With regular exercise, you can increase your metabolism and strengthen your muscles, which can help you burn more calories and lose excess pounds.
2. It enhances mobility and balance
   With age, the body naturally weakens, which often lead to loss of independence. With regular physical activity, you can strengthen your muscles, which can improve your flexibility, balance and coordination. This, in turn, can reduce your chance of falling and help you maintain your mobility.
3. It improves your sleep
   Do you often find yourself struggling to fall asleep at night? Don’t resort to sleep aid medication, just start exercising! According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, people who spent 150 minutes exercising every week had a 65 percent improvement in quality of sleep. Those people also stated that they felt less tired throughout the day than those who didn’t set aside time for physical activity.
4. It boosts your mood
   Regular fitness doesn’t only improve you physically – it works wonders on your mental health, too. Michael Otto, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Boston University, told the American Psychological Association that physical fitness can enhance the mood almost instantly.

“The link between exercise and mood is pretty strong,” he said. “Usually within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect.”

Working out isn’t only a stress reliever. When you start to see results from exercise over time, your confidence is likely to increase as well.

5. It can prevent or delay disease
   Physical activity that focuses on aerobic exercises is great for the heart, blood vessels and lungs, as it improves the breathing and heart rate, according to MedlinePlus. By keeping these vital organs healthy, you can delay or reduce your risk for certain conditions, such as breast, colon and lung cancer, as well as diabetes and heart disease.
6. It strengthens your mind
   Exercise doesn’t only strengthen your bones and muscles, it enhances your mind, too! No matter how you decide to exercise, you’re being creative and multitasking, which keeps the brain active and healthy. This can prevent memory loss and cognitive decline, which can also reduce one’s chance for developing dementia.

Singing is an activity many seniors have been enjoying since they were young, whether they began singing in grade school, sang in their church’s choir as adults or simply sang for fun. As much joy as it brings, studies have shown that singing might also be an integral part of senior care, as it can help older adults stay mentally and physically healthy.

It is these results that led Louise Greenberg, a lifelong musician and resident of a senior living community in Reading, Pennsylvania, to start a regional choir for seniors in the Reading area. Greenberg, who spent her career as a scientist examining biochemistry, neuropharmacology and gerontology, has extended the no-audition invite to all seniors in the area, whether they live at home or at any of the area’s senior living communities, the Reading Eagle reports.

A 2006 study conducted by researchers and musicians from George Washington University and funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Arts and other organizations, found that seniors who participated in choral singing for a year experienced less depression and loneliness, and used less medication than those who did not join a choir. They also had fewer doctor’s visits and experienced improvements in their breathing, singing and speaking, as well as in their overall stamina compared to their counterparts.

Greenberg heard about this study when she attended the Chorus America conference in June 2012, the news outlet reports. Having her personal positive experience with music supplemented by science, she moved forward with plans to form the regional choir.

Seniors who live at Southgate at Shrewsbury have plentiful opportunities to reap the benefits of music. Southgate offers musical activities including singing, playing instruments, theatre performances, and listening to music. The community also has religious services, so seniors who love to sing in church may continue to do so after making Southgate their home.

September is Food Safety Awareness Month, and although the country’s food supply is very safe, older adults are often at a greater risk for foodborne infection and illness.

September is Food Safety Awareness Month, and although the country’s food supply is very safe, older adults are often at a greater risk for foodborne infection and illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 128,000 Americans end up in the hospital as the result of foodborne sickness each year, but taking the appropriate steps to ensure food safety can reduce this figure, especially among the senior living population.

Seniors are at a greater risk for food-related illnesses for a variety of reasons, but experts say the biggest culprit is the fact that body systems and organs tend to undergo changes as a person gets older. Specifically, the stomach and intestinal tract may hold on to food longer, and the kidneys and liver might not be able to process toxins as quickly or effectively as younger adults, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chronic conditions and medications may also make older adults more susceptible to illness.

“Most older people take one or more medications for one or more chronic conditions, and the side effects of some medications or the chronic disease itself can weaken the immune system,” dietician Debby Krzesni told The Times-Standard. “Then there’s the slowing down of our immune system and other organs. We can get food poisoning and bounce back in a day or two as a 30-year-old, but we might be in bed for a week at 65 or hospitalized at 80.”

While seniors may have an elevated risk of contracting foodborne illnesses, if they take the appropriate safety precautions they can greatly lower their chances. The Food and Drug Administration points to several habits in particular that are essential. Washing hands and surfaces often, avoiding cross-contamination of food, cooking to safe temperatures and proper refrigeration are all cornerstones of food safety.