Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer

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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
April 2021
           A Special Supplement to

                                 Fitness
                                 Over 50
                   How exercise can
                   help you live longer

 Playing                                                      Seniors &
Catch-Up                                                     Socializing
Saving strategies                                                 How to build
  as retirement                                               friendships in your
   draws near                                                     golden years

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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
3      How exercise can
                                                                                 help you live longer
                                                                          3      How seniors can
                                                                                 approach exercise
                                                                          6 Saving strategies as
                                                                                 retirement draws near
                                                                          7 How to build friendships
                                                                                 in your golden years

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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
How exercise can
        help you live longer
                                                                                  Cardiorespiratory fitness               Improve bone health
                                                                                     Many health experts say that            Strength training and physical
                                                                                  cardiorespiratory fitness may be        activity can stave off the effects
                                                                                  just as valuable a metric to de-        of frailty and osteoporosis, which
                                                                                  termine overall health as blood         affects bone strength. A study
                                                                                  pressure and lipid levels. People       published in the Journal of Internal
                                                                                  with a high aerobic capacity can        Medicine in 2017 found that hip
                                                                                  deliver oxygen to tissues and cells     fractures are associated with di-
                                                                                  efficiently to fuel exercise, accord-   minished quality of life and survival
                                                                                  ing to data published in 2014 in        among the elderly. One in three
                                                                                  the journal Aging & Disease. In         adults aged 50 and over dies within
                                                                                  a study involving 11,335 women,         12 months of suffering a hip frac-
                                                                                  researchers compared V02 max,           ture, and older adults have a five-
                                                                                  also known as aerobic capacity, in      to eight-times greater risk of dying
                                                                                  women with mortality data. Women        within three months following a hip
                                                                                  who were fit from a cardiovascular      fracture. Building muscle strength,
                                                                                  perspective had a lower death rate      balance and bone density through
                                                                                  from all causes, irrespective of the    exercise can reduce falls and
                                                                                  women’s weight.                         frailty, helping to prevent fracture-
                                                                                                                          related health risks.
                                                                                  Manage stress and mood
                                                                                     Exercise has direct stress-          Addresses sarcopenia
                                                                                  busting benefits that can promote           The health and wellness re-
                                                                                  longevity. The Mayo Clinic says         source Healthline defines sarcope-
                                                                                  physical activity can increase the      nia as the loss of muscle mass spe-
                                                                                  production of endorphins, which         cifically related to aging. Doctors

T
                                                                                  are the body’s feel-good neu-           once considered this muscle loss
      here are many reasons to           That’s why exercise should be an         rotransmitters. In addition, exercise   inevitable, and it can affect stamina
      get in shape. Weight loss          important component of daily life        can imitate the effects of stress,      and lead to weakness. However,
      is a prime motivator, as           no matter one’s age.                     helping the body adjust its flight      new indications suggest that exer-
is reversing a negative health               Research published in the            or fight response accordingly, and      cise is the main treatment regimen
effect, such as high cholesterol or      journal Immune Aging found that          help them cope with mildly stressful    for sarcopenia, particularly resis-
increased diabetes risk. Routine         how people age is 75 percent             situations. While engaged in exer-      tance training. This is designed to
exercise also can improve life           lifestyle and only 25 percent            cise, people may forget about their     improve muscle strength and help
expectancy.                              genetics, which underscores the          problems as they are focused on         balance hormone levels by turning
   WebMD says exercise keeps             importance of the lifestyle choices      the activity at hand.                   protein into energy for older adults.
the body and brain healthy.              people make.

How seniors can approach exercise
E
       xercise is a vital component       tion notes that regular physical        exercise with one hour and 15 min-      When to stop a workout
       of a healthy lifestyle. By mak-    activity is one of the most impor-      utes of vigorous exercise, such as         It’s imperative that seniors
       ing exercise part of their day-    tant things seniors can do for their    jogging, each week.                     recognize when to stop work-
to-day routines, people of all ages,      health and can potentially prevent                                              ing out. Exercising more than is
including men and women over the          many health problems associated         Is strength training                    recommended by your doctor can
age of 65, can greatly improve their      with aging.                             safe for seniors?
                                                                                                                          increase the risk of illness or injury.
overall health.                                                                      The CDC advises seniors to
                                                                                                                          In addition, stop exercising if any of
   The American Academy of                Frequency of exercise                   incorporate muscle-strengthening
Family Physicians notes that se-              Seniors, particularly those who     activities into their weekly fitness    the following symptoms appear:
niors should aspire to be as active       have not exercised much in the          routines twice per week. Lifting          • Dizziness or shortness of breath
as possible. Exercise is a great          past, may not know how much ex-         waits, working with resistance            • Chest pain or pressure
way to incorporate physical activ-        ercise they need to reap the full re-   bands, heavy gardening, and               • Swollen joints
ity into your daily routine and has       wards of physical activity. Though      even some forms of yoga qualify           • Nausea
been linked to reduced risk for dis-      it’s best to discuss exercise with      as muscle-strengthening activi-           • Tightness in muscles or joints
eases such as heart disease, dia-         a physician prior to beginning a        ties. Exercises that use your body        • Pain anywhere in the body
betes and osteoporosis. Though            new regimen, various public health      weight for resistance, such as            • Throbbing or burning sensations
adults with chronic illnesses may         agencies advise seniors to get at       sit-ups and push-ups, also can
                                                                                                                             Exercise can help seniors stay
be hesitant to exercise, the AAFP         least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic     help build strength. Always speak
                                                                                                                          healthy and feel more energetic
notes that it’s possible for men          exercise each week. Brisk walking       with a physician before beginning
and women who have been diag-             is one example of moderate aero-        a muscle-strengthening exercise         throughout the day. Before begin-
nosed with such conditions to ex-         bic exercise. Seniors who want to       regimen and, if possible, work with     ning a new regimen, seniors should
ercise safely. In fact, the Centers       sweat a little more when exercis-       a personal trainer, especially if       discuss physical activity with their
for Disease Control and Preven-           ing can replace moderate aerobic        you’re a novice.                        physicians.

                                                                                     DELAWARE GAZETTE • LIVING 50 PLUS • SPRING 2021                           3
Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
Saving strategies as
                                                    retirement draws near
P
       rofessionals on the cusp of       their account balances before they          efit Research Institute found that            als who are trying to build their re-
       retirement are often excited      officially call it a career.                housing costs accounted for 49                tirement savings in the final years
       about what lies ahead. Some       • Take advantage of catch-up                percent of seniors’ spending.                 before retiring could be missing
prospective retirees may look              contributions. Adults who are             Professionals nearing retirement              out on significant growth by aban-
forward to traveling once they no          50 or older are eligible to take          who live in areas traditionally as-           doning stocks entirely. Speak with
longer have to go to work each day,        advantage of catch-up contribu-           sociated with a high cost of living           a financial advisor about stock-
while others may plan to return to                                                   can begin to rethink their long-term          based investments and your risk
                                           tions. These are designed to help
school. Regardless of how adults                                                     housing strategy. Relocating to an            tolerance. Maintaining a diversified
                                           people over 50 contribute more to
envision spending their retirement,                                                  area with a lower cost of living is           portfolio with a little risk can be a
                                           certain retirement accounts, such
they’re going to need money when                                                                                                   great way to grow your savings as
                                           as a 401(k) or IRA, than statutory        one option, while those who prefer
they’re no longer being paid by                                                                                                    retirement draws near.
                                           limits would otherwise allow. There       to remain in their current town or
their employers.                                                                                                                     Professionals approaching retire-
                                           are limits that govern the amount         city can consider downsizing to a
   As retirement nears, some pro-                                                                                                ment may be dealing with a mix of
                                           of money people can designate as          smaller home to reduce their prop-
fessionals may be concerned that                                                                                                 excitement and anxiety, particularly
                                           catch-up contributions, but taking        erty taxes and monthly utility bills.
they haven’t saved enough. There’s                                                                                               if they’re concerned about their
no one-size-fits-all answer in regard      advantage of this perk can help       • Continue investing. Conventional              retirement savings. Various strate-
to how much money people will              people save more as retirement          wisdom suggests moving away                   gies can help quell such anxiety and
need in retirement. People who are         draws closer.                           from investing in stocks the closer           make it easier for professionals over
worried they haven’t saved enough        • Consider relocating. A recent           you get to retirement. Though                 50 to build their savings as retire-
can try various strategies to build up     study from the Employee Ben-            that’s a sound strategy, profession-          ment nears.

                                                                                               Dr. Mark Musgrave
                                                                                                              Orthodontist
                                                                                                A happy smile is a healthy smile
                                                                                                 www.musgraveorthodontics.com
                                                                                                                             Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics

                                                                                                                         98 W. William St. Delaware, OH
                                                                                                                                (740) 362-6952
                                                                                 OH-70231218

                                                                                                                              133 S. Marion St. Waldo, OH
                                                                                                                                     (740) 726-2272

6    SPRING 2021 • LIVING 50 PLUS • DELAWARE GAZETTE
Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
How to build
    friendships
      in your
   golden years

M
          aking friends as a child        to meet new people online by
          or even as a parent to          joining social media groups
          school-aged children is         that cater to your interests. In
relatively easy. Classrooms and           person meetings in particular
school functions facilitate the           cities or regions of the country
building of friendships. Even as          also can make for great ways
one gets older and enters the             to make new friends. Exercise
workforce, it’s not uncommon for          caution when meeting people
people to become friends with             in person after contacting them
their coworkers.                          online. Bring another person
    As people near retirement             along, whether it’s a spouse or
age, their situations may have            an adult child, to ensure that
changed considerably. Children            you are safe.
have moved out, careers are
coming to an end and friendships
                                         • Volunteer your time. One way
                                           to meet new people is to get
                                                                                                                                    Age in
may be hard to maintain due to
people relocating or traveling.
                                           involved with causes or activities
                                           you love. This serves the double
                                                                                                                                    Place
Older adults may aspire to make            benefit of getting you outside                                                     SourcePoint’s
new friends, but they may not              and active and puts you in touch                                                   in-home care
know how.                                  with people who share your pas-
    According to Irene S Levine,           sions and interests.
                                                                                                                              services help older
Ph.D., The Friendship Doctor and         • Attend alumni events. If you                                                       adults live safely
contributor to Psychology Today,           have an interest getting in touch                                                  and independently
it is not unique for seniors to want       with someone from your past
to make new friends. Age can be
                                                                                                                              at home — where
                                           and reconnecting, make the time
a barrier because there are ste-           to attend school reunions and
                                                                                                                              they want to be.
reotypes that pigeonhole people            other alumni activities. It can
of certain ages. But Levine notes
                                                                                                                              For Delaware
                                           be fun to reconnect with friends
that state of mind and physical            from high school or college.                                                       County adults 55+,
ability is not directly tied to chron-   • Join a gym. The local gym isn’t                                                    we provide Meals
ological age. Making friends is            just a great place to get physi-                                                   on Wheels, chore
possible at any age. These guide-          cally fit. Group exercise classes
lines can help along the way.                                                                                                 services, personal
                                           also can be ideal places to meet
• Explore online connections.              other people who enjoy working
                                                                                                                              care, medical
  A 2016 study published in the            out. Strike up a conversation with                                                 transportation,
  Journal of Gerontology found             another class participant you see                                                  and more.
  seniors (even those in their             on a regular basis. Once you de-
  80s) who stay connected with             velop a rapport, schedule lunch        Whether you’re 55 or 95, SourcePoint can help you set
  friends and family using social          dates so your friendship grows
                                                                                                         live well as you age.
                                                                                                                                                       OH-70231302

  media report feeling less lonely         outside of the gym.
                                                                                    your own course to
  and better overall. Connected              Making friends is not just for
  seniors also demonstrated              the young. Men and women over
  higher executive reasoning             50 also can find ways to build                               Learn more at MySourcePoint.org
  skills. There are plenty of ways       new friendships.                                                         or call 740-363-6677.

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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
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Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer Fitness Over 50 How exercise can help you live longer
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