270924 Minimum Exercise Recommendations: Start Slowly and Safely 2 of 2
Government health and other fitness professional experts strongly suggest following these guidelines when deciding to begin exercising. Bear in mind these are the minimum intensity levels and times associated with the diverse types of exercise considered.
Balance
Balance is critical to our daily living activities. Without balance, we would be constantly reaching and grasping for stable objects to prevent falling, stumbling, or injuring ourselves.
The American Heart Association recommends that older adults at risk of falls do balance training three or more days a week for at least 45 minutes. However, you can do balance exercises[1] as often as you like, including every day, including while brushing your teeth.
Here are several variations of a basic exercise to help develop and maintain your sense of balance. https://www.lifeline.ca/en/resources/14-exercises-for-seniors-to-improve-strength-and-balance/
Once you can do an exercise for up to one minute without movement, then progress to the next example.
Make certain you are standing near a sturdy chair, or wall, to help catch your balance, if need be, in the following sequences of movement.
Stretching can improve your flexibility. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back your car out of the driveway.[2]
Stretching every day for 10-15 minutes spread throughout the day is highly beneficial.
Safety tips
- Stretch when your muscles are warmed up.
- Stretch after endurance or strength exercises.
- Don’t stretch so far that it hurts.
- Always remember to breathe normally while holding a stretch.
Functional fitness, (neuromotor)
Functional fitness exercises help you do your average daily living activities. These include those that involve your motor skills such as balance, agility, coordination, and walking gait. Some examples of functional exercises include walking, squatting, bending, pushing, and pulling.
Do these exercises, throughout the day, for a total of 20 to 30 minutes a day.
If you want to practice the most common functional fitness elderly tests, here they are.[3]
- Chair stand test-lower body strength.
- Arm curl test- upper body strength.
- Chair sit and reach- lower body flexibility test.
- Back scratch test-upper body flexibility test
8 foot up and go agility test.
- Walk test 6 minutes or step in place test 2 minutes. The walk test is used to assess aerobic fitness unless the person uses orthopedic devices when walking or has difficulty balancing, in which case they do the step-in-place test.
Other resources:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/site-search?search=functional+fitness
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-exercise-with-functional-training
[1] https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/senior-health/balance-exercises-for-seniors
[2] https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-and-physical-activity/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical#flexibility
[3] https://www.swhealth.ne.gov/pdfs/healthylifestyle/frog/FROG-Senior-Fitness-Test-Kit.pdf
Physically Fit Seniors 