The effects of exercise has been researched extensively and proven over and over to benefit all ages. Exercise keeps your muscles and bones strong, decreases tension, aids in the management and prevention of certain diseases and gives you an overall sense of wellbeing. Just like a car that has not been driven, a body will not work properly if it has not been fueled (food), oiled (water) and used (exercise) on a regular schedule or with extensive use. Seniors have special obstacles to exercising that younger people do not typically have. As a home health professional, you can impact seniors’ exercise routine by educating on adaptation to these challenges.
The benefits of exercise include:
1) Exercise helps obtain or maintain a healthy weight
Just by living you are burning calories. Body weight is gained when the intake of calories is greater than the amount burned. Exercising burns additional calories which leads to weight loss. If the amount burned in a day is equal to the amount taken in, maintenance will be achieved. Often times the elderly become sedentary, gaining weight over time and this can lead to obesity which can negatively impact their health and increase their risk for falls.
2) Exercise helps with prevention and maintenance of certain diseases
Exercise helps prevent and control type 2 diabetes by aiding the body in the use of insulin thus decreasing the blood sugar naturally. It also helps decrease blood pressure, helps prevent heart disease, strokes, increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol (mayoclinic.com). The heart is a muscle increasing the heat rate and making it work harder makes it stronger since it is being exercised. As a person ages, bone and muscle mass is naturally lost. Weight bearing exercises such as walking or lifting weights strengthens the bones and muscles thus slowing the rate of loss (livestrong.com).
3) Exercise helps promote a good mood
Exercising not only increases the blood flow to the brain enhancing mental clarity, it also stimulates the release of mood hormones called endorphins. Endorphins elevate mood thus decreasing depression and anxiety commonly found in the elderly. It also warms up your muscles decreasing muscle tension.
4) Exercise helps prevent falls
In a randomized study conducted by Sivan et al in 2010, exercise was proven to decrease the incidence of falls in the elderly. The results showed that a group exercise program followed by a home exercise regimen does in fact reduce the number of falls (Sivan et al, 2010). By increasing muscle strength and mass, balance is also improved. Seniors who engage in little or limited activity will experience muscle atrophy which negatively affects balance and increases the risk for falls and potentially death.
5) Exercise helps promote sleep
It is not uncommon for the elderly to have sleep problems. Part of the problem involves frequent daytime naps. Encourage your elderly patients to limit the number and length of daytime naps. Exercise will energize them during the day but promote sleep at night. Regular exercise promotes deeper sleep and the ability to fall asleep faster (mayoclinic.com).
6) Exercise can be a form of social interaction
Having an exercise buddy can not only make it a social event, it can also hold you accountable. If a friend or group is pulling you to join, it is less likely you will talk yourself out of it. Group exercise in a living facility engages individuals to interact with each other while keeping the body moving. Encourage your elderly patients to join the exercise groups in their living facility or join a senior center in their town (Brian, 2009).
By encouraging your patients to engage in some form of activity, you are helping them physically and mentally. Teach them ways to start small with something they enjoy. Encourage them to take short walks on nice days (with an assistive device if needed). Pick up an activity schedule from their living facility and post it in a place of their choice. When you do your visits, ask them about their activities since your last visit. Remember, you may be the only person they interact with and you have an opportunity to impact their physical and mental wellbeing by encouraging exercise.
References
Jeneane Brian. (2009, November 18). 5 things you need to know about encouraging seniors to exercise. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/4669-need-encouraging-seniors-exercise/
Peete, Connie. (2011, June 20). Electronic Health Record Usability. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/474788-the-effects-of-exercise-on-bone-muscle-tissue/
Mayo Clinic Staff (2012). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676/NSECTIONGROUP=2
Sivan, M., Sawyer, C., & Brown, J. (2010). The role of exercise therapy in the secondary prevention of falls in elderly people. International Musculoskeletal Medicine, 32(4), 168-172. DOI: 10.1179/1753615410Y.0000000002
