The Importance of Staying Active.

Staying active is not simply eating healthy and exercising, it also involves keeping your psyche active and a positive attitude. It is easier to stay active when you are younger, but it is essential to continue as you age.

Benefits include a better quality of life, a strong body and immune system, and it can even improve mental cognizance.

Physically
“The average person begins to loose muscle mass after age 30,” said Tom Nagowski, osteoporosis and arthritis instructor at the Senior Citizens Council of Clinton County Inc.

Muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after the age of 60, and that decline increases to 30 percent after the age of 70, said One Step Ahead Physical Therapist Lori Dandrow, D.P.T.

“The good news is that you can cut that in half by exercising,” Dandrow said.

“Weakness leads to an increase in the risk of falling, slower walking speed, osteoporosis, hip fractures and an overall low quality of life.”

Dandrow suggests using everyday activities as an opportunity to exercise for those who are beginning. Dandrow recommends trying to go from a sitting position to a standing position without using your hands to push yourself up. Muscle strength is directly related to bone strength, so it can also help to prevent arthritis from setting in as well as osteoporosis. To avoid injury it is best to see a physician or physical therapist prior to beginning any exercise regime.

“Whatever your age is, start now,” said Crystal Carter, director of the Clinton County Office for the Aging. “Take it slow,” she advised to those who do not normally exercise.

“The best exercise is the one you do,” Carter said.

Workouts should be customized to your needs. Classes such as the arthritis and osteoporosis class, can be done with or without weights, sitting down or standing. Exercise does not have to be done everyday. It should be done three times per week on non-consecutive days, according to Dandrow.

Water aerobics is less stressful on joints, so people with knee and hip arthritis may tolerate that type of exercise more, Dandrow said. “Water gives the resistance,” she said. “Yoga is a great thing to do, with flexibility and strength components. Tai chi has been shown to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.”

Tai chi involves slow, gentle movements, said Naomi Bradshaw, who teaches Tai Chi. Falling becomes a greater danger as you get older, she explained, and Tai Chi teaches you to find your balance. “Laughter, that’s the best thing there is for your core,” Nagowski said, who makes sure to keep all those who take his class laughing. His class motto is “A spring in your step, a smile on your face, and three inches taller,” because it focuses on resistance and weightbearing exercises as well as stretching, hence the inches taller.

Exercising also works your autoimmune system. If you are physically fit you can rebound quicker from injuries, Nagowski said. And according to Dandrow, stretching leads to improvements in flexibility, which help walking stride length, reaching, dressing and bathing.

Janice Holland was about to have wrist surgery when she started taking Nagowski’s class.

“Now I can do anything,” Holland said, stating that the flexibility exercises greatly helped her and she no longer needs to have surgery. “I had a stroke in September and I attribute my rapid recovery to this class. It keeps you alert,” said Barbara Landes who also takes the class. After having a mild stroke, Landes was able to make a quick recovery due to her physical fitness.

Nutritionally
“Make sure your protein intake is adequate, or your body will literally eat your muscles,” Dandrow said. She also suggests increasing your calcium and vitamin D intake with age to help maintain bone mass as much as possible.

“Talk to your physician about supplementation,” Dandrow said. A healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is very important. Fish oil can be an important anti-inflammatory component, especially for those with arthritis, she said. If you are unsure about a healthy diet, organizations such as the Office for the Aging and Cornell Cooperative Extension offer nutrition counseling.

Mentally
“Word games work wonders,” said Valarie Drown, a licensed mental health counselor at the Northeastern New York Alzheimer’s Disease Assistance Center. Word and memory games keep the brain active, she said. Another activity she suggests is reading the newspaper and then explaining what you read to your loved ones. “It helps us to retain the information and use our words to express it,“ Drown said. She recommends creative activities such as drawing, painting, and sculpting, which use the right side of the brain. “Get out and socialize with other people,” Drown said.

Socializing helps to maintain social skills. Exercise also helps to promote brain function as it increases blood flow to the brain. Exercise classes are dully affective as they include the social aspect as well as the physical.

Maintaining weight, keeping away from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes will also help your brain as you age. “They are risk factors for vascular dementia,” Drown said. “Increase your support system as much as possible, family, friends… Having people around, it’s good for the heart, it’s good for the brain, it’s good for everything,” Drown said.

Start Now
“Starting those healthy habits early will help you when you get older,” Drown said. “It becomes part of a lifestyle instead of a life change.”

As Carter added, “There’s no better time to start than right now.”

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