Trainers highlight benefits of exercise for people over 50

DEBBIE JACOB

SANDRA SALLOUM always led an active life – ballet as a child; strength training in her 20s and 30s with tennis and aerobic classes. In her 40s, walking replaced weightlifting, but in her 50s, when she experienced a bulging disc in her back and chronic pain, she returned to weight training.

“I felt like my back couldn’t support the rest of my body, and I was beginning to show signs of osteoporosis in my neck and hip,” said Salloum.

So she began strength training (which includes weight training) with Gregory Seale, founder and director of Movement Mechanics in St James.

“I said I didn’t want to lift heavy weights and get those big, bulky muscles. Gregory laughed,” said Salloum.

“In a few months of strength training, my back pain subsided. On a scale of one to ten, it went from a nine to a two or three.”

Now, at 60, Salloum has fallen in love with weight training.

“It made my whole body feel stronger. I feel less pain. There has been no decline in my bone strength since I started weight training.”

At Movement Mechanics, everyone talks about Salloum’s mother, who does strength training at 89.

“She is really devoted. She won’t use any aches and pains to cancel a session,” said Salloum.

Seale said, “The older you get, the more important exercise is – especially strength training. “When my grandmother was old, she walked like a penguin. I thought it was part of ageing.”

But declining mobility is not something you have to accept in old age.

“A lot of older people don’t understand the importance of exercising, because they don’t know the benefits of it. As you grow older you will lose strength. You want to have mobility, be able to sit and stand, be flexible, have strength and stability,” said Seale.

When he got a master’s degree in kinesiology (the science of how the body moves) Seale realised his grandmother’s problem was the restriction of movement in the front of the hip, a problem that exercise can fix.

Among the elderly, strength training still carries the stereotypic image of body builders with bulky muscles, but older people who work out discover this type of exercise supports basic movements, which provide a better quality of life.

“You want to be able to pick up grandchildren and have fun with them,” said Seale. “The right exercise helps the elderly to keep from falling. Those muscles have to be able to fire quick enough to brace from a fall or react when you have to react to something.”

Seale said there is a correlation between the ability to get up from a chair and mortality rates.

“Losing your mobility has a cascading effect. If you can’t get off your chair, you’re not getting up to get water so you’re not staying hydrated. Digestion becomes poor because metabolism is poor. You’re not getting the cardiovascular exercise you need or rebuilding muscle. But you can prolong your life by exercising and rebuilding muscle.”

Strength training also helps with balance, a major challenge for the elderly.

“If you’re strong, and muscles around your joints are strong, balance is better. If you lose core, glute and hip strength, you can’t maintain balance. Muscle structure around joints is what holds you up. Once strength starts to go, the neural connection to the muscle becomes weak. That’s when you see people moving around with a walker and stick,” said Seale.

Simone Gonzales, a certified senior exercise specialist, finds many benefits for seniors who exercise.

“Exercise strengthens and conditions muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons. It builds muscle mass and assists with bone health. Strength or weight training can reduce declining height that happens as you age and improve posture. It promotes better functionality and agility for daily activities or recreational sports. Strength training can lower the risk of injury.”

Weight training also improves posture. It can even help you from shrinking.

“Posture or height declines as you age. So your daily habits, such as sitting more, can create imbalances in muscles and posture. Some researchers even liken reduced height to reduced lifespan,” said Gonzales.

For those who feel that fitness instructors only enjoy working with athletes or young people, Gonzales said she finds many rewards in training an older clientele.

“It’s a pleasure to see the elderly be functional and move with excitement rather than physical worry. The long-term goal is for everyone to lead long, healthy, functional lives.”

But getting older clients to understand these benefits can be a challenge for trainers.

“They may have misconceptions and feel too old to exercise or feel exercise may worsen physical conditions – especially in cases with joint problems,” said Gonzales.

But Gonzales and Seale said qualified trainers design programmes specifically for elderly clients. The challenge is to get over the stigma of gyms being for young people.

“The elderly sometimes fear joining a gym because the programmes may be too rigorous, or they view themselves as out of place among younger people.”

But Gonzales finds younger clients have changed their attitude about the elderly in gyms.

“I think it’s viewed as positive and cool. Young people feel inspired and think they can age without the fear of losing their ability to function.”

Seale said strength exercise should be done at least two days a week, with at least 30 minutes of exercise (particularly cardiovascular exercise like walking) every day for the rest of the week.

He advised asking personal trainers for their qualifications before settling on one.

“You’re putting yourself and your body in someone’s hands and you need to know you’re working with a qualified person.”

He stressed the importance of getting a medical assessment before an exercise programme and the need to “start off gently and build from there.”

The best way to manage old age is to keep moving.

“If you’re sedentary and have aches and pains, you need to start moving. If you aren’t strong enough for walking around the Savannah, get a water aerobics class.

“As you get better, get some extra resistance work.

“Once anything becomes easy, you need to challenge yourself a little more with the right instruction.”

Search the internet for any medical study about exercise for the elderly and you will find unexpected benefits.

“Cognitive ability and your cardiovascular health go hand in hand,” said Seale. “If you’re not training and staying active and moving oxygen through your blood into your cells and muscles, eventually you will have a decline everywhere – including your brain.”

Exercise even affects your sleep.

“The quality of sleep is better, and you often wake up with more energy. Your overall mood improves. You feel better, more confident, and sharper – like you can take on the world. You’re able to do more in a day if you’re getting stronger.”

Exercise is the key to a longer, happier and healthier life, and no one benefits more from exercise than the elderly.