How to Choose an Age Appropriate Fitness Class

Although it is not uncommon to decrease exercise as you grow older, the benefits of fitness classes for seniors are many, including improved cardiovascular health, better muscular strength and endurance and increased flexibility. Joining a fitness class can provide older individuals with a structured and consistent approach to exercise.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Have your current physical condition and fitness level carefully assessed by a qualified healthcare professional or fitness expert. Talk to your doctor beforehand. Describe the physical activity in which you would like to participate. Your physician will help you to determine what forms of exercise will be safe for you.
2. Enroll in a fitness class that will focus on stretching and flexibility. Increasing muscle strength and improving range of motion for joints helps older individuals to maintain better balance, reducing the risk for falls and injuries.
3. Add weight-bearing and resistance exercises to your fitness regimen to help strengthen muscles and bones while strengthening your knees and other joints.
4. Jump into the pool. Water aerobics offers a practical fitness program for many older adults, especially those suffering from arthritis or other medical conditions, which weaken the muscles. Aquatic exercise provides buoyancy and support for the body, making it easier to work out while decreasing the risk for injury from exercise.

Tips & Warnings

• Although many people assume that a decrease in flexibility is a natural process of aging, inactivity most often is the cause. However, muscle strength does decrease, as we grow older, making it more difficult to perform some tasks.