Aging in place, managing in our own home for as long as we can -- that’s what most of us want. We’re in no hurry to go into care. But as we get older, it gets harder and harder to climb the stairs, do housework and yard work, shop for groceries, walk to the bus stop. Fitness is the key. We can’t stop the clock from ticking, but we can try to maintain or maybe even increase our ability to function, bearing in mind our porous bones and wonky hearts and aching, swollen joints. So how do we do it? Many senior centres run fitness programs, but they are mostly geared toward older seniors and are too gentle for seniors who are still active. So I searched through the evidence-based literature to try to come up with a formula that we could try at home, without hiring a personal trainer or buying expensive equipment. I’m no fitness guru, so do this at your own risk, and check with your doctor first. Don’t forget to warm up and cool down.
Endurance
Interval training
Muscle strengthening
Balance
Flexibility
This is all very sketchy and you need to fill in the details by finding examples and routines on the internet. YouTube is full of great free workouts; you can exercise in front of your computer. Use keywords like “20 minute” and “low impact”. Keep searching until you have a nice collection of varied workouts so you’re not doing the same ones every day. Check out some pregnancy workouts; they work well for seniors because they’re safe, and careful about balance.
If you would like to read up on guidelines or get some background information, go to: