Speaking as a charter member of the "I Hate To Exercise Society" and a recent inductee in to the "Senior Citizen's Society" one realizes there are lessons to be learned.
One learns there is a major difference between enjoying exercise and needing exercise. It has become obvious that exercise is necessary for us as senior citizens. So began the study of exercises for seniors for the most important reason of all . . . necessity.
It seems to maintain the good health I had always taken for granted, I should give up my membership in the "I Hate To Exercise Society". One of the rules states that anyone seen participating in exercise would have their membership terminated. So what did I have to lose.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend four types of exercises for older adults (I assume that older adults is the politically correct term for Senior Citizens):
- Strength Exercises - I can just see me lifting weights! They claim strength exercises will build your muscles and increase your metabolism, which helps to keep your weight and blood sugar in check.
- Balance Exercises: It seems we fall down a lot and don't bounce like we once did. As a a senior, balance exercises can help you stay independent by helping you avoid the disabilities that could result from falling.
U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips each year, many of them seniors, and falling is often the cause of those fractures.
- Stretching Exercises: Even thinking about exercise is quite a stretch for me. However, stretching exercise can give you more freedom of movement, which will allow you to be more active during your senior years.
- Endurance Exercises: This is the hard one . . . walking, jogging, swimming, biking, or even raking leaves, any activity that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time.
Wore me out just writing these things down!
Then I found it - the perfect exercise for us Seniors (oops, sorry, older adults).
Whole Body Vibration Exercise came into my life. Whole body vibration exercise provides a resistance exercise workout that is proven to be effective in 10-minute sessions.
Whole body vibration has been researched for more than 100 years and has been proven to have the following benefits:
- Increases muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion
- Enhances balance, coordination
- Improves circulation and increases blood oxygenation
- Improves muscle strength and tone
- Accelerated weight loss
- Increases bone strength and density
- Produces the effects of 80 different exercises by minor adjustments in posture and body positioning.
- Works all the important muscle groups of the body
- and more, and more, etc.
Just think - only 10 minutes a day! (Even helps out you younger adults too).
The whole body vibration machine we used is the VibraTrim. With 5 different people, needing 5 different problems solved - it work exactly as advertised. Some lost inches, some lost weight, others have improved balance and muscle tone.
So for us seniors (older adults) this could be exactly what is needed. Alright, you kids can use it too.
