4 Great Benefits of Exercise for Seniors

Exercise helps keep senior citizens fit physically ... and socially, emotionally and psychologically as well. You receive so many benefits when you exercise. Your heart becomes strong and it works effortlessly. It easily pumps oxygen throughout your body, which allows all of your different internal and external systems to work properly.

Since all of those systems are interconnected and controlled by your brain, you enjoy more than just physical benefits when you stay active as you age. If you need motivation to exercise and you are over 50 years of age, take a look at these wonderful nonphysical benefits of staying active that just may change how you think about physical fitness.

1. You Feel Better About Yourself

When you exercise, "feel good" chemicals and hormones are released by your brain. That's right, there is a physiological reason you feel great after you exert yourself physically. You truly do feel good about yourself as a person when you exercise on a regular basis.

2. Your Social Life Benefits

Humans are social animals. Most of us feel better in social settings where our friends, family members and other like-minded individuals spend time with us. When you exercise after you turn 50 years of age, you promote independence and positive self-worth. This leads to a richer social life. Many exercises and other forms of physical fitness are also social in their very nature, like hiking clubs and cycling or dance and yoga classes.

3. Your Brain Is Sharper and Your Memory Recall Improves

Studies have shown that frequent exercise actually improves your recall. A physically fit body leads to a sharp mind and excellent memory. Your elevated heart rate pumps blood and the aforementioned oxygen to your brain as well as every other part of your body. This keeps your brain healthy. In studies of men and women over 50, those who exercised regularly were able to recall and remember people, objects and events better than their non-exercising counterparts.

4. Exercise Defeats Depression and Anxiety

Once again, exercise shows an enormous nonphysical benefit. A depressed individual can make very bad life choices, even going as far as suicide. Isn't it amazing then that simple exercise on a consistent basis has proven an effective treatment for depression and anxiety? In studies of older individuals (men and women over 50) regular physical activity has been directly linked to reduced episodes of anxiety, stress and depression when compared to sedentary people the same age.

Can Daily Exercise Help You Live Longer?

You hear all the time about how important it is to get regular exercise, but is it really? Is exercise overrated? Do you really need to be active to live longer? You probably know someone who lived until their 80's or 90's in relatively good health that never exercised, and ate improperly their whole life. But that does not mean that is the secret recipe for longevity! They are simply the exception to the rule.

Can daily exercise really impact how long you live? Let's turn to the experts for answers.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

•    The American Heart Association says that, "Regular physical activity improves quality of life." That respected health organization also found that regular physical activity "boosts mental wellness" as well as physical fitness levels.

•    The National Institutes of Health in the United States examined information from more than 650,000 adults. Their findings? You can extend your lifespan by as much as 4.5 years when you experience regular physical activity.

•    The National Cancer Institute has published research which shows physical activity, as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle, drastically reduces your risk of developing uterine, lung, and prostate cancers.

•    An important Australian study which was published in PLOS One magazine took information from 8,600 Aussie women and men over a period of 15 years. What was uncovered? Regular "brisk walking" cut 10 year heart disease risk by 50%. Those first participants in the study that walked or worked out daily were 600% less likely to develop any type of heart disease.

•    In the November 14, 2013 issue of Stroke magazine, the results of a study 3,500 men between the ages of 60 and 80 were released. Daily walking, at any pace, for just one or 2 hours a day cut stroke risk by as much as 33%.

Looking At the Other Side Of the Coin

Okay, so regular activity can help you live longer, and daily physical fitness efforts increase your longevity even further. But does inactivity will really harm you to any significant degree? Again, let's check in with the experts.

•    Heart.org is a US-based website dedicated to building healthier lives that are free of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Their research shows that obese and inactive people die approximately 7 years sooner than their counterparts who are physically active.

•    They also find that sedentary individuals that sit for 4 hours per day elevate their risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease by an incredible 80%.

•    The March 2012 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine published similarly startling information. If you sit 11 hours a day you are immediately 40% more likely to die from any cause than someone who sits less.

•    A HealthPop study revealed that too much sitting, in addition to an overall sedentary lifestyle, contributed to at least 93,000 cases of colon and breast cancer.

The Takeaway?

Stand up and get moving! Doctors, fitness experts and health professionals agree that any form of daily exercise can help you live longer. Spread just 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of exercise throughout your weekly routine. This can be any type of moderate to intense aerobic, cardiovascular or strength training activities.

Walking, bike riding, swimming, hiking and gardening qualify – you don't have to hit the gym.

Bonus Tip! Try not to exceed 5 hours of intense exercise per week, because some research shows that this is the point at which your health benefits level off and begin to decline.

Be sure to check out some of our recent posts and weekly workout videos for some great ideas to help you incorporate more exercise into your daily life - no matter how busy you are!  And visit our website for more fun ways to exercise.