How to Gain Stamina If Elderly
Reduced stamina is one of the first things people notice as they grow older, with onset as early as a person's 30s. Low stamina can result in poor work performance, less energy to engage in favorite activities, even problems in a previously stable marriage or friendship. Building stamina is a matter of improving endurance, nutrition and mental state. By following a consistent, systematic program to build each, greater stamina will naturally follow. Although the individual steps may sometimes feel difficult, the process is actually quite simple.
Instructions
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Building Endurance
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Get 20 to 30 minutes of exercise six days per week, alternating between aerobic exercise and resistance exercise.
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Use low-impact exercises for your aerobic workout, such as walking, speed walking or swimming. As you age, your joints grow less able to handle the repetitive impacts of jogging, racquetball, boxing and other high-impact sports.
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When choosing resistance exercises, use exercises that force you to stabilize the load. Dumbbells, resistance bands and most calisthenics are good examples. Machine weights and barbell exercises stabilize the weight for you, meaning the muscles that support your joints don't get the workout they need.
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Exert yourself mildly to moderately for both workouts. You should feel like you've exercised, but not like you've pushed. Your goal here is endurance, not exhaustion.
Nutrition
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Take a multivitamin every day. As you age, your body doesn't process nutrients as efficiently. The multivitamin will make sure you get your baseline nutrition.
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Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flax and some legumes.
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Eat food rich in iron, such as spinach, pork and tofu.
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Consider eating at least one vegetarian meal each week. Meat takes more of your energy to digest, thus giving you less energy in return.
Mental State
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Stay involved in community activities even as transportation becomes an issue. People who remain involved live longer and enjoy more vigor.
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Get adequate rest. Although many seniors are surprised to discover they need less sleep at one time, an afternoon nap can do wonders for your evenings.
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See to your stress levels. Being retired doesn't mean all your stress producers have gone away. Whatever techniques you used to eliminate stress while you were working, bring them back into service to help you now.
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Consider a meditation or relaxation class, such as yoga or tai chi. Being relaxed while at rest means being more energetic while on the move. Most such classes include instruction on breathing techniques to increase energy. As a final bonus, getting out to class keeps you involved in the community.
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