When you think of a “fit” person, you might immediately think of a strong and shapely young man or woman, perhaps in their 20s or 30s. After all, they seem to be the ones advertising fitness products or posing on the cover of glossy fitness magazines.

And those sights may discourage you from fitness if you’re an older adult. You might even conclude that aches and pains and a lack of energy just won’t allow you to be fit. But that’s not true at all!

Exercise for older adults is not only possible but essential, even with the presence of pains or fatigue. It all boils down to the type of exercises you do and your expectations.

Myths About Exercise For Older Adults

Stroll through fitness gyms, yoga studios and spin classes, and you’ll see a surprising number of older adults pushing themselves through sweat-busting workouts. And they often do quite well, keeping up with their younger classmates to some extent.

With that said, that brings to light some misconceptions about exercise for older adults and the elderly in general. We’ve already alluded to some false beliefs about older adults above. Here’s a list of these myths and more.

Myths About Exercise For the Elderly

• “I’m too old to start exercising” – Although exercise habits established while young make it easier to do so as you age, it’s not uncommon to see people in their 60s, 70s and 80s starting to exercise regularly for the first time.
• “I just need to walk and I’ll be fine” – Walking is a great way to keep fit, but a more well-rounded routine will give your body and mind full benefit. Light jogging and swimming strengthen the heart, light weight training preserves muscles and bones, and light stretching keeps your flexible and limber.
• “I shouldn’t exercise with aches and pains” – True, you need to exercise care (excuse the pun) when working out with aches and pains. But there are plenty of low-impact exercises that can help you stay fit without putting too much strain on your muscles and joints.
• “I have a chronic disease and it’s better for me to avoid exercise” – Again, certain conditions (such as heart disease) will limit a person in what they can do physically. Yet still, the key to managing such conditions is, ironically, exercise! Even individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are encouraged to exercise, and science now shows that regular exercise can slow down their progression.
• “I’ll probably injure myself working out” – You won’t injure yourself unless you push too hard, eat poorly or try to keep with those who are younger than you. Finding a balance and being realistic is the key to staying injury-free.

A List of Suitable Workouts For Older Adults

So with all of these myths out of the way, it’s now time to look at the exercises that will keep you fit and fearless despite being advanced in years. You no doubt know what many of these look like already. With that said, the exercise we’ve recommended to you are based on their level of safety, list of health benefits and ease of adopting.

Light Weight/Resistance Training

As you age, it’s important to maintain your muscle and bone mass since the natural decline of these tissues leads to a loss of balance, increased risk of fractures and general weakness. Fortunately, resistance training is a natural “medicine” that slows this down and even reverse some of its effects.

The use of light weights includes dumbbells, cables and machine-assisted lifts can keep your muscles strong. If weights aren’t your thing, you can also use resistance bands as they too can build muscle endurance and strength if using the right program.

Weight and resistance training is completely safe as long as you:

1. Perform an exercise with the equipment using proper form
2. The weight or load is not too heavy for you
3. Avoid doing an exercise that aggravates existing joint and muscle pain

To ensure your safety, it’s wise to consult your doctor before starting an exercise plan and consider working with a certified fitness instructor who can supervise your workouts.

Aerobic Exercise(s) (Low-Moderate Intensity)

As we mentioned before, walking has its benefits but you can step it up. Your heart function improves when it’s placed under mild (and controlled) stress by adapting to what you put it through. Therefore, it’s important to incorporate regular aerobic exercise into your routine.

This includes light jogging, swimming, cycling and other activities such as cardio martial arts and dancing. These exercises, when combined with a good diet, can reduce heart and blood pressure issues and improve lung capacity as well.

Now for some of these exercises such as jogging or dancing, it’s important to think about your knees, hips and feet. If you already have pain with these joints, you will have to adjust the duration and intensity of these exercises. You may also need special orthotics to help your feet or braces to reduce the strain on your knees.

Stretching and Flexibility Exercises

You might be all too familiar with the feeling of waking up stiff in the morning or feeling less mobile in general. But you can “untie the knots” to some extent.

You can do this by including a few exercises which focus on improving muscle flexibility. Exercises such as yoga, pilates, tai chi and just basic stretches can keep your range of motion intact. These exercises also have the added benefit of improving circulation and blood flow, which also translate to more flexibility.

Again, you need to gauge your limits and what you can handle. Stretching is a good thing, but too much of it can be bad, as it can lead to muscle strains and weakness. A rule of thumb is “if you can’t go any further, then don’t.”

Words of Caution

Of all the fitness principles mentioned to both young and old, the most important and overlooked one is to exercise safely. It doesn’t matter how much you do or how often you do it – exercising unsafely won’t get you far. In fact, it may halt your progress and put you on the sidelines if you ignore safety.

So it’s vital to know the rules and risks of any exercise, and to learn how to do them in the correct form before increasing the difficulty.

Here’s how you can make this happen:

• Speak to your doctor first to get his or her take on your planned routine
• Learn how to perform certain exercises the right way and practice those positions
• Have a trainer or instructor supervise you when first learning a movement
• Watch videos or look at diagrams to give you a visual sense of the move
• Avoid exercises that easily aggravate existing pains or discomfort

Slow Down the Clock By Getting Off the Couch

The way you feel and function, as you age, is largely related to your fitness. True, you may not be able to hoist heavy weights or do acrobatic somersaults like an Olympic athlete, but you can certainly feel young again with a regular exercise routine.

The key to staying fit in advanced years really boils down to your mindset: by setting realistic goals and working out at your own pace. Keeping these two principles in mind will help you remain humble so that you don’t push yourself beyond your current ability. Best of all, this mentality will release those feel-good endorphins so you enjoy your workout, instead of feeling discouraged by it.