As Americans are increasingly living well into their 80s and 90s, the fitness industry has increased its focus on helping people maintain their physical health during their senior years. Older people who engage in an active, healthy lifestyle can maintain their fitness and well-being throughout their later years. Healthy aging is the culmination of multiple lifestyle choices, including routine physical exercise, a balanced diet, and avoidance of smoking or drinking.
Staying active by working with a personal trainer can contribute to the following signs of healthy aging:
1. A Low A1C Score
The A1C score measures the amount of sugar attached to a blood cell. When simple carbohydrate foods, such as rice, bread, and pasta enter the body, they are quickly broken down and consumed as energy. This floods the body with glucose, a form of sugar.
When glucose attaches itself to blood cells, it remains there until the cell dies. An A1C test measures the percentage of blood cells that have been coated with glucose. Maintaining an A1C result of under 5.7 percent greatly reduces the risk of diabetes. Physical exercise can help manage glucose and keep blood sugar levels low.
Moderate exercises that engage the muscles work to increase the body’s demand for energy. This removes excess glucose from the blood and lowers blood sugar levels. Exercises like walking or yoga can work well for seniors. When done under the supervision of a professional trainer, Strength training using weights or resistance bands can also help regulate blood sugar.
While more intense exercises can also reduce blood sugar over time, they can make levels spike in the short term. Seniors who wish to incorporate high-intensity training into their fitness routines should consult with their physician and personal trainer.
2. Grip Strength
Grip strength is probably not the most well-known indicator of health, but for seniors, it is a very significant sign of healthy aging. Researchers have found that grip strength is correlated with several biomarkers, including bone density, cardiovascular health, and muscle mass. High grip strength ensures that people can remain independent as they age. Grip strength is essential for tasks such as washing, cooking, and doing chores.
Physicians measure grip strength using a device called a dynamometer. The person being tested holds the device in their hands while holding their arm bent at the elbow. Squeezing the device produces a strength score. Grip strength is based on the average of three scores in a row.
Daily exercise can promote grip strength. Resistance exercises that increase muscle mass through fatigue training can strengthen the wrists as well as the entire arm. While weight training exercises can increase grip strength, there is a risk of injury. People, particularly people who are older, should work with a personal trainer to ensure they know how to complete exercises correctly.
3. Flexible Joints
The body’s mobility depends on joint flexibility, especially in the hips, knees, and shoulders. When we’re young, our joints contain higher levels of lubricant and cartilage which facilitate movement. Over time, the cartilage thins, and the body produces less lubricant. The ligaments that move the joint also stiffen and shorten. This can greatly restrict joint flexibility.
Joint stiffening is mainly caused by physical inactivity. Mobility exercises can increase flexibility and alleviate particularly stiff joints and muscles. An active lifestyle keeps the joints supple and helps people who are older maintain their range of motion. Engaging in bone-building exercises, such as body-weight exercises, yoga, and tai chi can strengthen and stabilize ligaments and joints.
4. Quality Sleep
While people generally need less sleep as they age, many do not experience high-quality sleep during their senior years. Many people develop sleep disorders such as insomnia and abnormal sleeping patterns due to inactivity during the day. Engaging in moderate physical exercise helps us fall asleep and stay asleep during the night.
This is because physical activity induces brain changes that increase alertness throughout the day. As a result, the time needed to enter a sleep cycle shortens. People experiencing insomnia or restless leg syndrome should exercise at least 2 hours before bed so that the activity doesn’t affect their sleep.
5. Strong and Sufficient Muscle Mass
BMI, or body mass index, is an extremely rough guideline for gauging healthy weight. To calculate BMI, an individual’s weight in kilograms is divided by their height in meters squared. While BMI is a simplistic measure that doesn’t account for age, ethnicity, or muscle mass, it provides a snapshot of an individual’s physical health. A BMI between 23 and 27 is a healthy range for older adults.
A BMI of 17.9 or below indicates that the individual is underweight. Low body weight is dangerous for elderly people, as it increases the risk of osteoporosis, a debilitating musculoskeletal condition. Many people see a dip in their BMI as they age due to muscle loss. After age 70, muscle loss accelerates quickly, and it can be difficult to regain. A low BMI can also be a symptom of an underlying disorder that disrupts nutrient absorption.
A BMI of over 25 is classified overweight, while a score of above 30 is correlated with chronic health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. Light strength training and regular moderate exercise can boost muscle tone in a sustainable and enjoyable way.