Health Benefits of Exercise
A Third Age Exercise & Fitness feature
by our Health Editor

The Health Benefits of Exercise for those of us in our Third Age cannot be overstated.

As we age, we experience reduced muscle mass, and along with it, reduced strength and physical endurance. We also experience reduced balance and coordination, reduced bone strength, reduced joint flexibility and mobility, and reduced respiratory and cardiovascular functions.

At the same time, we also experience an increase in blood pressure, in body fat levels and an increased risk of various physical and mental illnesses.

So at the very point in our lives when we need our physical attributes the most to help us maintain our independence and to help us make the best of our later years, most people neglect to maintain their bodies which only accelerates physical deterioration and makes them more prone to illness and disease.

It is a myth to believe that we in our Third Age (the Over 50s) no longer need physical exercise. We need exercise and physical activity because:

Bone Density Loss begins to accelerate once we reach the age of 50 or so. Exercise can reduce the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis. The greater the bone loss, the greater our propensity for fractures. The less the bone loss, the greater our bone strength.

Muscle Wastage or Sarcopenia increases with age. This muscle loss only increases the less exercise we take. More than the aging process itself, nothing increases muscle wastage as quickly as inactivity. The less physical activity we undertake, the greater the muscle wastage. The greater the muscle wastage, the less we able to physically do. It’s a vicious circle!

Respiratory Functions keep you alive. Your heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, will deteriorate if you don’t give it sufficient exercise. Regular exercise will keep your heart and lungs healthier and stronger.

Body Fat Levels do not need to increase with age. Increased body fat only increases the likelihood of diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Unless you reduce your food intake in accordance with your reduced physical activity, you will gain weight and increate your body fat.

Joints require regular movement to keep them in good working order. The less you move them, the less you will be able to move them as you get older.

Metabolism slows with age, but it slows even more with inactivity. Exercise burns calories, improves the metabolism and increases muscle mass. Muscle burns more energy than fat so the metabolism increases and reduces the propensity to gain weight or store fat.

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