Some things are inevitable in life and one of them is growing older, which people can dread. While it can be a tough thing to come to grips with, it is also something that exercise can help with. With that in mind, we’ve put together a number of benefits regular exercise can have as you age. So, let’s not waste any more time and get straight into the benefits.
Key Benefits of Exercising as You Age
Reduces the Risk of Certain Diseases
Exercising regularly, especially as you get older can help with the prevention and management of certain diseases. Research has shown that diseases such as type 2 diabetes, dementia, stroke, heart disease and many more can be prevented or managed through exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym or the pool for hours every day, but simply walking, cycling, or swimming a few lengths a day can have a hugely positive impact on decreasing your risk of diseases. Keeping your fitness routine consistent is the most important thing and through that you can improve your chances of preventing specific diseases.
Improves Sleep Quality and Energy Levels
Two things we all want whether we’re older or not are to sleep better and have more energy when we’re awake which is exactly what regular exercise helps with. When we exercise our bodies produce endorphins, also known as the happy hormone, which boost our energy, mood and reduce stress levels. This leads to you feeling more alert during the day and can be hugely beneficial as we age. On the other hand, getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week in will mean your body feels tired at the end of the day and encourages a good night’s sleep, which is essential as we grow older.
Social Benefits
It can be difficult as we get older to socialise as much as we used to, but exercise is a fantastic way to boost your social life. Whether it’s joining a fitness class, or simply heading to the pool or gym with a friend, doing a workout is a great method of getting out and about, while also staying fit. Humans are social animals, so having more time interacting with other people will have a positive effect on your mental health as well as keeping fit and healthy physically. Having a group of people that you regularly exercise with or even a gym buddy also acts as motivation on the days you don’t feel up to your workouts and ensures you remain consistent.
Lowers Risks of Falling or Injury
We often hear about as we age our balance and coordination isn’t what it used to be, however, exercising is a great way to counteract this, which in turn reduces the risk of falling or injury. It is recommended that older adults in particular include three strength training sessions in their workout routine every week, which helps strengthen your bones along with your muscles, which makes it easier to complete everyday tasks. As well as that, regular exercise is a brilliant thing to improve balance as we age, which again reduces people’s chances of falling and even if you do fall if you’ve been keeping up your strength training, you are less likely to suffer injuries. With that in mind, you don’t have to bust yourself in the gym each day lifting heavy weights, simply going to a strength training class or doing a low impact exercise such as an aqua aerobics class, as well as lifting smaller weights or trying resistance band training can have a big impact on your body’s ability.
Enhances Brain Function
Another thing we always hear about and fear with age is our brain’s ability to function the way it once did. While it is inevitable that our brains may not be as quick the older, we get, exercising consistently can have majorly positive impacts on our brain function. Our mind and body are linked so staying physically healthy has been shown to increase our brain’s cognitive function, which allows us to continue performing everyday tasks without any issue, as well as that some studies have found that participating in regular exercise decreases the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by nearly to 50%. As mentioned above there are social benefits too with exercising, while it also reduces stress, both of which are positives for your brain as you keep it active and healthy.
The Key Takeaways
While regular exercise won’t prevent you from aging or solve every problem that getting older entails, it is undeniable that consistent exercise counteracts many of the worries people have as they age. From fighting off diseases to socialising to keeping sharp mentally as well as physically, having a regular fitness routine which includes cardio and strength training allows you to feel better as you grow older. Again, this doesn’t mean you have to push yourself to unnecessary limits, you just need to hit the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity a week to see the benefits exercise holds. Overall, the most important factor is that by combining all the benefits of exercising as we age together allows us more independence as we get older and can help us live longer, healthier, happier, lives.
How Aura Leisure Can Help
Whether you’re someone who wants start exercising at a younger age or an older adult that feels the need to get moving, we’ve got you covered at Aura Leisure. We offer personalised fitness programmes for complete beginners with Aura Fit for Life, while for more experienced fitness goers, we have Aura Lean3. Our centres also provide a variety of fitness classes from Aura HIIT Strength to Aura Aqua Aerobics, Aura Step and much more which allow you to stay fit as well as social. Even better still members of Aura get access to our fitness classes, gym, pool, fitness programmes, help from our expert team and much more at no extra cost.
