Slowing down is a common part of aging, with more than a quarter of adults 50 or older living sedentary lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fortunately, even if exercise is more difficult than it used to be, you can stay active, said Bente Maike, the Fitness and Aquatic Center (FAC) manager for local senior living community Vista del Monte.
“Depending on your mobility, keep walking,” she said. “Whether it is leaving your home, attending classes led by an instructor, or whether it might be walking around in your own home, it’s essential to keep moving.”
Whatever you do, you can start slowly by incorporating basic activities into your routine.
“Some simple exercises you can do at home are marching in place, standing or seated, and move your arms to keep the blood circulating,” Maike said. “Add some light stretches to your routine to loosen up and stay flexible.”
Benefits of exercise for older adults
Improved heart health is a major benefit of increased physical activity. That’s because your heart tends to weaken as you age, and regular exercise can slow or even reverse that process, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Exercise can also reduce your risk of developing cancer, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, anxiety, depression, or a stroke, according to WebMD.
Maike has seen that in the residents at Vista del Monte.
“At Vista, we have several residents in their 90s who, without a doubt, have remained mobile because of their discipline to stay active as they were aging,” she said. “They might be moving a little bit slower than what they used to; however, they’re adamant about participating in our classes, visiting the gym, or walking on their own.”
Even if you suffer from chronic pain, gentle exercise can reduce your risk of injury. In fact, any kind of movement is helpful for older adults, as local retirees have found.
“They even admit that it would be so much easier to just sit in the chair and watch TV, but they’re motivated to keep moving,” Maike said. “They’re very aware of the old saying ‘keep moving or you’ll lose it.’ Our residents are very resilient and very aware of the benefits of keeping moving.”
Many exercise options are available
Vista del Monte helps both residents and members of the community stay active as they age by offering a variety of options. Although currently, only residents can use the FAC, it will soon be open to the public.
“Our seated chair exercise on the lawn is our most popular class, which covers the basics such as a warm-up, strength training with handheld weights, resistance bands, core exercises, leg strengthening, and ending with a variety of range of movement exercises and stretching,” Maike said. “We also offer balance classes and how to get up from the floor if you have fallen.”
The newly renovated indoor pool is a place to swim solo or join in water aerobics, water volleyball, and other gentle aquatic classes. The pool is heated to a comfortable 88 degrees.
“Our most popular pool activity is water volleyball, where all levels of abilities are welcome to join in this open team, no-rules, raucous, laughter-filled class,” Maike said. “This class is probably the most talked about activity on the campus.”
The renovated Fitness Center has new strength training and cardio equipment, with fitness trainers and a licensed physical therapist on hand to help Vista del Monte residents choose the right fitness plan for them.
Make sure you tour the FAC when you visit Vista del Monte. Schedule your tour today by calling 805-687-0793 or by emailing vdmsales@frontporch.net.