Council
Council for Older Adults www.growingolder.org
COMMUNICATOR Volume 22, Number 4
July/August 2014
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Adjustments to your routine are key to staying in shape Jeff Robinson, Editor Council Communicator There’s a reason most distance races have an age group for “65 and older,” and there’s a reason the enrichment center at the Council for Older Adults has a fitness center with everything from dumbbells and weight machines to treadmills. Exercising as you age is good for you; if anything, it’s even more important to make fitness a part of your life as you get older. But it’s also important to be wiser about exercising – your running speed at age 60 likely won’t be what it was at age 30, and the weights in your
strength training routine will probably be a little lighter than they once were. Knowing your limitations and making the proper adjustments are vital to getting the most from your workout. “There are so many benefits to exercising for older adults,” said Julie Clinger, fitness coordinator at the Council for Older Adults. “Your metabolism slows naturally as you age; exercise increases that metabolism and builds muscle mass. It also burns calories, wards off illness and chronic disease, gives you a better heart rate and the possibility of lowering your blood pressure, your bone density increases... WORK SMARTER continued on page 22...
Get in the Swim Aquatics classes are a great way to stay fit as you age. If you’ve been wanting to get in better shape but aren’t sure where to start, the aquatics classes at the Council for Older Adults’ enrichment center are - literally and figuratively - a great way to get your feet wet. Activities such as swimming and warm water aerobics have long been known to provide great cardio exercise while also helping conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. Patti Fifner, the aquatics coordinator at the Council, said you’ll get those benefits and more from their classes. “You can’t diminish the social aspect of the pool,” Fifner said. “If someone is missing from... GET IN THE SWIM continued on page 23...
We provide choices for older people so they can live safely in their own homes and stay healthy as they age.