Benefits of Exercise for Over 60′s

No matter your age or your current physical  condition, you can benefit from exercise. Exercising does not require strenuous  workouts or trips to the gym. It is about being active and moving around.

There are many ways to get your body moving and improve your health, even if you are housebound, managing an illness or though  healthy, leading a sedentary lifestyle.

One of the biggest problems for older adults is knowing  where to begin. You are not alone as many seniors feel discouraged if they have health problems or concerns about injury or falls. Also, if you have not  exercised for a long period of time it is extremely daunting to commence a  fitness regime. Even a stroll in the sunshine will have huge health benefits  for you. Having health issues also is a major reason why seniors do not keep active.

The truth is for your health and well being, it is essential to keep moving and that includes exercising. Exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic, and healthy as you get older. It can help you manage the symptoms of illness and pain, maintain your independence, and even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. Exercising is not only good for your body, but is important for maintaining a healthy mental outlook on life. Your memory will be enhanced and you will put a spring in your step.

I hope you benefit from the easy simple exercises I have outlined throughout this site. By keeping active and exercising every day, we “Baby Boomers” can look forward to a long and healthy lifestyle.

Who is a Baby Boomer?

Born between 1945 and 1964, Baby Boomers are predominately in their 40s and 50s and 60s. They are well-established in their careers and hold positions of power and authority. This generational segment constitutes a large majority of today’s leaders, corporate executives, and senior managers. In fact, nearly 70 percent of all managerial executives are Baby Boomers.

Labor statistics indicate that nearly 80 million Baby Boomers will exit the workplace in the next decade. These employees are retiring at the rate of 8,000 per day or more than 300 per hour. This unprecedented loss of skilled labor in the workplace, consisting largely of executives, senior support staff, managers and other leaders, may dramatically impact the commercial industry.

Below are several common characteristics of the Baby Boomer generation.

• Work-Centric: Baby Boomers are extremely hardworking and motivated by position, perks and prestige. Baby Boomers relish long work weeks and define themselves by their professional accomplishments. Since they sacrificed a great deal to get where they are in their career, this workaholic generation believes that Generation X and Generation Y should pay their dues and conform to a culture of overwork. Baby Boomers may criticize younger generations for a lack of work ethic and commitment to the workplace.

•  Independent: Baby Boomers are confident, independent and self-reliant. This generation grew up in an era of reform and believe they can change the world. They questioned established authority systems and challenged the status quo. In the commercial workplace, Baby Boomers are not afraid of confrontation and will not hesitate to challenge established practices.

• Goal-Oriented: With increased educational and financial opportunities than other generations, Baby Boomers are achievement-oriented, dedicated and career-focused. They welcome exciting, challenging projects and strive to make a difference.

• Competitive: Since Baby Boomers equate work and position with self-worth, they are quite competitive in the workplace. They are clever, resourceful and strive to win. Boomers believe in hierarchal structure and rankism and may have a hard time adjusting to workplace flexibility trends. They believe in “face time” at the office and may fault younger generations for working remotely.

You  Can do It – Gwendoline’s Story

This is a true story about a lady (Gwendoline) who decided, at the mature age of 65 that she would learn to swim. She joined the senior swimming club, at the local neighbourhood pool.

With the help and inspiration from friends and club members our beginner started off by treading water, then she learnt the dog paddle, never going in over her depth until she gained confidence in her new found abilities.

Next exercise was floating on her back followed by floating on her stomach and learning to hold her breath underwater. Finally when she was feeling pretty confident in the water, it was time to learn the different strokes and enjoy her newfound freedom in the water. She learnt to swim freestyle (over arm) and trained religiously 3 times a week.

Can you imagine? How she must have felt, at the mature age of 70 years she won her first ever trophy of any kind, it was not 1^st but 3^rd in her age group.

Her weekly swimming program continued as well as a healthy diet and performing light exercises. At the mature age of 80 she won her first ever state championship title for her age group.

Since then she has won many state and club championships, until the age of 90 when that terrible disease called Alzheimer’s put an end to her reign as the golden girl of the pool.

Note.Gwendoline is now 96 and Alzheimer’s means she lives in a far off place but her story is testament that being fit and healthy has helped her to achieve more in the past 20 years than she had ever done throughout her life.

JOIN NOW!

Remember, it is never too late to start. You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities. fitnessandhealthideas.com provides the latest fitness and health exercises for you, whatever your fitness level