Aperion Offers 7 Tips to "Walk Your Way Well" For Seniors

Are you thinking of starting an exercise program but don’t know where to begin? How about taking a walk? Now that the weather has warmed up and the outdoors beckons, it’s a great time to explore your neighborhood, especially if you’re a senior. In fact, a terrific way to stay healthy and mobile as you age is simply to walk. One of the most attractive things about walking is that nearly anyone can do it. It’s free, it’s simple, it’s portable, and it’s enjoyable.

You’ve probably heard before, use it or lose it. And, that certainly rings true for staying mobile. For older adults to maintain independence, mobility is important because one of the determining factors in a person’s ability to live independently is the ability to walk independently.

If you do nothing else for yourself, take a walk. From the physical to the psychological, walking has a host of benefits. Here are just a few:

• Improves oxygen to the body

• Provides for a healthier heart

• Improves balance and coordination

• Improves muscle strength

• Gives your body greater mobility

• Eliminates fluid build up in your tissues

• Makes motion more fluid in your joints

• Burns fat and helps fight weight gain

• Improves confidence, mood and self-esteem

And, there’s more. A Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) trial, published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 concluded exercise helps people age better even if they’re new to it. The study ran 2 ½ years and included 1,635 men and women between the ages of 70 and 89 who did not exercise regularly. At study baseline, they were able to walk a quarter of a mile (400 meters) in 15 minutes but were at high risk of losing their mobility. Half were randomly assigned to an exercise program that included daily walking plus strength and balance exercises. The other half took part in education workshops on healthy aging that included some gentle stretching routines. The “exercisers” were 28% less likely to become disabled and 18% less likely to have had any episode of physical disability.

That’s great news. And, it just goes to show that you can start walking even if you’ve been sedentary. In fact, you owe it to yourself. Before you begin any form of exercise, make certain to check with your physician. Here are 7 smart tips Aperion recommends that will help you walk your way well:

1. Make sure you have shoes that fit your feet well and don’t slip. Tennis shoes that lace up provide great support.

2. Grab a friend. While it’s perfectly wonderful to walk on your own, walking also can be a great time for social connection.

3. Warm up your muscles and do a balance check before you hit the path. To do this, stand up straight and raise your arms above your head. Make a slow windmill motion with your arms to get your blood flowing. Hold onto a chair if you feel unsteady. Also practice lifting one foot and then the other.

4. Choose your route so you know where you’re going before you begin. For example, a flat road is better than a hilly one when you’re starting out. Know how long you plan to go before you leave so you don’t find yourself too far from home and too tired to walk back.

5. Use your entire body when you walk – swing your arms with your legs. But be careful not to overdo it and lose your balance.

6. Set a sensible pace. It shouldn’t hurt. If you feel like picking up the pace, make certain you’ve already gone for 5 to 10 minutes at your current pace and can handle more before picking up the speed.

7. If you want to add more power to your walk and it’s okay with your health care provider, consider carrying 1 to 2 pound handheld weights.

Now is a beautiful time of year to treat yourself to walking. Walking for fitness has a cumulative effect. One of the best parts about starting now is that you can walk outdoors well into the late autumn and transition indoors to a mall when colder weather hits.

References:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/walking-exercise-helps-seniors-stay-mobile-independent-201405287173

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1875328

http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/walking-exercises-seniors-8601.html

http://www.seniorsliveitup.com/BenefitsOfWalking.html