How to Stay Fit and Active as a Senior

What does it take to age well?  Well, all aspects of health are essential to ageing well. That means getting enough sleep, eating a healthy, nourishing diet, moving your body frequently, and keeping up social connections.

That’s the word from Erin Billowits, the founder of Vintage Fitness, a Canadian fitness organization that provides in-home personal training for seniors worldwide through their virtual platform.

The last element (social connection) may not be something you’d expect to hear a fitness coach mention. But it is one of the most critical factors in living a healthy life and ageing well, says Billowits. It affects your mental health, and it also affects your physical well-being and fitness.

That point became painfully clear during the days of “social distancing” as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world.

"I've been running this business for 16 years, and [we've] had more illnesses [in 2020] in our client base than any other year,” Billowits says. “And it's not necessarily COVID; it's just that people are feeling disconnected and people aren't moving the same, and it's really, really been hard on seniors."

Spirituality may also be important to aging well because feeling fulfillment is essential, Billowits adds. Even small things like feeling your bare feet on the ground can help connect you to the world around you and help you feel a sense of fulfillment.

What types of exercise should seniors avoid?

Try to avoid high-impact exercise as you get older, including activities like jumping jacks or jumping lunges, Billowits says. She adds that seniors should also avoid crunches, as they can put a lot of strain on the back.

However, the type of fitness you can do varies from person to person. Do whatever movement feels good for your body and do various activities that target different body areas.

The reason that variety is so important for seniors is that repeatedly doing the same motion can do more harm than good. It's very common for professional athletes to get injured because of the repetitive nature of their sports.

Sitting for too long is also something to be avoided. A popular saying that Billowits uses is "sitting is the new smoking." This might seem absurd, but she says it's true. The body is not meant to sit for too long, as this can affect both your physical and mental health.

What are the best types of exercises for seniors?

The first component of a senior's exercise regime should be cardiovascular exercise. You should participate in cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes a day at a moderate intensity.

Great cardiovascular exercises for seniors include walking, hiking, light jogging, cycling, and swimming.

The second type of exercise that seniors should do is strength training. Seniors often neglect strength training, but it has many benefits, including increased muscle mass and bone density and helping your posture. You should do strength training about twice a week.

Finally, work on your flexibility by making sure that you stretch often. For you as a senior, stretching doesn't always have to look the same as the exercises a younger, more athletic person would do. You can even practice stretching by placing things where you need to stretch to reach them, like putting a jar of peanut butter on the top shelf.

If you practice these three types of exercise, you'll likely begin to improve other areas of your life.

 "Your exercise makes it so your life isn't exhausting,” Billowits says. “Whatever activities you want to do, you shouldn't be exhausted by your life."

The benefits of exercise for seniors

Any type of exercise is even better for seniors when done outside. It will increase your physical strength, but it can also benefit your brain health. A protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) helps grow, differentiate, and maintain neurons or brain cells.

When people exercise outside, the amount of BDNF in their brain is much higher than when they exercise indoors. Billowits says that she thinks this might be because of the different stimuli outdoors that aren't present inside.

All in all, the best exercise is any exercise, she says. Fitness benefits every part of your body, including your mind! Exercising can also help you relax. Getting exercise and sunlight in the morning has been proven to help your sleep in the evening, and physically exerting yourself at any time of day tires your muscles, which can also help you fall asleep.

Billowits says that fitness can even slow down the aging process! Of course, time won't stop after you've done a few squats, but getting stronger and healthier will increase what and how much you can do.

"In some ways, it is a bit of a fountain of youth in terms of how much energy you have and what you're able to do in your life,” Billowits says. “We're not going to age backwards with exercise, unfortunately, but it will make a lot of difference as to what your life is like and how vibrant you can be."

How to adjust your diet to feel as good as possible in your golden years

Everyone knows that as we get older, our bodies change. Our digestive system is no different: you need to adjust your diet as you age and your organs age.

The processing of protein and vitamin D absorption are two things that become less efficient as we age. This means that seniors need to eat more of the protein-rich vitamin-D-rich foods to have the right amount of protein and vitamin D in their bodies.

Many different foods are excellent sources of protein. Meat is well known to be a rich source of protein, and for those who don’t consume meat, there are choices such as tofu, tempeh, nuts, and beans. Even vegetables have protein! These include spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, and mushrooms. Getting more protein does not have to be boring.

Billowits says 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure every day is recommended for seniors to get enough vitamin D. You can also purchase vitamin D supplements for the darker winter months and eat more vitamin D-rich foods like fatty fish.

Contrary to popular belief, seniors don't need to avoid carbohydrates at all costs. Carbs are what fuel your body and give you energy, and there are some foods called complex carbohydrates that are better for you than others. For example, sourdough bread, which is easy to digest, could be healthier and tastier than regular white bread.

You should also try to practise mindfulness when eating, Billowits says. Notice how different foods make you feel: nutrition is about feeling good and having enough energy. Be present while you eat to consume the right amount for your body. If your mind is elsewhere while eating, you're likely to overeat and make yourself feel sick.

How should you go about selecting a personal trainer as a senior?

If you are a senior looking to start training with a personal trainer, here are some tips for finding the right person.

Ask about their qualifications. Make sure that a potential personal trainer is an older adult fitness specialist. You should also ask if the trainer has any experience with any medical conditions you may have. This will make your training experience much easier.

Getting along with your trainer is also extremely important. Make sure that your personalities match well because you will be spending a lot of time with this person, and you will not get the most out of the experience if you don't like them. Your trainer should motivate you!

Vintage Fitness

Vintage Fitness offers a wealth of resources for seniors who want to ensure that they age well. There are free ebooks on the site that cover topics like making everyday activities easier and getting up from the floor with ease.

Vintage Fitness can also be a great option to train with. All of their trainers are qualified and have experience working with seniors.

They have a team of 13 trainers who visit seniors' homes all over the GTA to train with them, but there's no need to worry if you aren't located near Toronto. They also have virtual training sessions and train in 9 different languages so that you can join them from almost anywhere in the world!

BIO

Erin Billowits is a personal trainer and the founder of Vintage Fitness, a fitness organization that provides in-home personal training for seniors in the Greater Toronto Area. She started Vintage Fitness in 2005 to develop an effective team of professional trainers who could train adults over 50 in a way that would challenge them while still keeping them safe. 

For more information go to: Vintage Fitness