Dear Seniors,
We, the STAR Committee hope to have our existing track outfitted with lower level lights so the entire community can take advantage of the facility to increase their health and fitness.
Regards,
STAR Committee
Five Tips to Help Senior Citizens Begin Walking for Better Health
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Fitness for Seniors
Once begun, people tend to stick with walking programs
May 1, 2006 - Walking isn’t such a difficult thing – most of us have been doing it since we were very young. But starting and maintaining a regular walking program can be daunting, especially for senior citizens, even though the benefits have been well documented.
Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, has some suggestions for people who want to get started. She also offers reminders of the myriad benefits of beginning an exercise program.
“Walking programs can be very effective in helping people get into shape, improve their cardiovascular fitness levels and, to some degree, lose weight,” she says, adding that one key benefit is that people tend to stick with walking programs. “Walking does seem to be better than more vigorous activities for adherence.”
Richardson’s five tips for starting a walking program:
1. Find a buddy with whom you can walk regularly. A friend can encourage you to walk on days when you aren’t motivated and can help you continue walking at a good pace.
2. Use a pedometer. This will help you keep track of your steps and can be an excellent motivator. “Perhaps the most important thing to do is to get yourself a pedometer. Pedometers really help you see how much you’re walking and see when you’re successful,” Richardson says. Studies at the U-M Health System and Veterans Affairs are exploring the benefits of pedometer use (see more below).
3. Schedule regular walks in a PDA or calendar. This helps to ensure that you have a set time every day for walking, Richardson notes.
4. If you have chronic medical problems such as heart disease or diabetes, you might want to check with you doctor to make sure a walking program is safe for you.
5. Start slowly if you need to – just get started. “Just get up and walk around the block,” Richardson says. “Somewhere between three and four miles an hour should be your goal, but if you have to work up to that gradually, it’s better to walk slowly than to do nothing.”
Seven health benefits of walking:
• Improvement of cardiovascular function and possibly a reduction in the chances of having a heart attack
• Potential weight loss or weight control
• Reduction in blood pressure
• Has been found to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of depression
• Has a positive impact on the health of people with diabetes
• Helps build endurance and muscle strength
• Helps build and maintain bones and muscles
Richardson – who also is a research scientist at the Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Service in Ann Arbor and at U-M’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender – is involved in studies looking at walking. Most of the projects involve using pedometers to help people start walking programs. The studies focus on people who have an illness or risk factor for an illness, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Many of the programs at U-M and the VA use enhanced pedometers – that is, pedometers that automatically upload step-count data to the Internet – that can help users see graphs and feedback that assist with goal-setting on a personalized Web page.
“An enhanced pedometer can really help you keep track of your walking goals and your successes,” she notes.
Seniors - Walk Yourself to Better Health
If you are ready to get into shape and strengthen your muscles, start walking! For seniors, walking is a great way to exercise without overexerting the body. Seniors’ walking programs can help you obtain a stronger body and healthier heart.
The best part about walking for seniors is that it does not include any difficult or complicated movements which can be damaging for some senior citizens. Seniors of any age can enjoy the benefits of walking. It is also something that can be done as a group or with friends.
In addition, walking for older people is free. You can take a nice walk to the park, or to a local store, and even the library. Many streets are designed for walking, and bikers’ paths are also great places to walk. And because only you control the way you walk, you older folks can walk fast or slow, or in between. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes!
Walking programs for the elderly often include slow and fast paces combined. Arms may be pumped harder for maximum benefits, and knees may be raised for a more efficient workout. Some seniors walk with light hand or wrist weights, or do arm exercises while walking. The kind of seniors’ walking you do will depend on your current physical shape.
Within just a few weeks, seniors’ walking programs can pay off. Stronger muscles are achieved, and a better balance comes along with it. This means less falls, injuries, or fractures! Should you fall, your muscles will be stronger and injuries won’t be as severe. Your heart will also be healthier, and aches and pains will begin to fade as blood circulation improves.
There are special senior citizen walking programs available by video or DVD, if you wish to walk in your own home. You’ll find many titles made especially for older people, so pay attention to the title and description of the exercise video. They are great to have, even if you want to do your walking outdoors or elsewhere because walking at home can be done in the rain, snow, or extreme weather.
Even within your own community, you can find a great seniors’ walking program. Many senior groups get together to do “mall walks”. It’s a nice way to spend a few hours with friends, walking and window shopping at the same time. To get a group together, speak with your local community or senior center, and then speak to the mall office. Many shopping malls set up special hours, or recommend certain times where senior walks can be done.
For a fun, relaxing time, try walking. It’s easy, inexpensive, and you can meet many new friends doing so. Seniors walking benefits are plentiful, and there are no good reasons not to walk!
Great Health Effects of Walking
The January 8, 1998 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports on the findings of the Honolulu Heart Study, a study of 8000 men. Over a 12-year period, the study found that walking just two miles a day cut the risk of death almost in half. The walkers' risk of death was especially lower from cancer. Those who walked infrequently were about 2 1/2 times more likely to die of cancer than were the two-mile-a-day men. These were men age 60 and above who appeared in good enough health to be able to walk. Those who did walk were less likely to die in the 12 years that followed.
Walking and other kinds of exercise probably protect the heart and circulatory system by raising HDL, the good cholesterol, and keeping weight down. Experts suspect it may help prevent cancer by beneficial effects on the immune system and hormone levels, among other things. Walking also contributes to "regularity" which in turn reduces the risk of colon cancer. Studies are in the works to see if walking helps prevent breast cancer. See my previous article on walking and disease prevention.
Water and exercise prevent colorectal cancer: Drink up and get moving, a study in Taiwan found 83% less colorectal cancer in men who exercise as opposed to sedentary men. They found no effect in women, but that may be because women in Taiwan are rarely sedentary as they do plenty of hard housework.
Moderate exercise benefits the heart: You don't have to feel the burn. Just 30 minutes a day of walking brings as much risk reduction for heart attack as a high-intensity exercise program, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 1999.
If an injury has you sidelined, visit the Sports Medicine site for advice. As usual with any advice seen on the web, check it against common sense and your own health care provider's advice.
Encourage the ones you love to get out and walk regularly so they will be around longer. Stay healthy and stay on the trail.
