The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend the following:
?To promote and maintain health, older adults need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five days each week or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes three days each week. (Moderate intensity is when you feel ?warm and slightly out of breath,? and vigorous is when you feel ?out of breath and sweaty.?)?
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Swimming can easily meet these requirements.? Swimming is a low impact sport that works all the major muscles groups in the body.? It can be competitive or recreational and enjoyed outdoors in swimming pools, lakes, rivers or oceans. Swimming is the skill of cutting through the water by means of various techniques called strokes without any artificial help. Strokes are a particular set of body movements needed to stay afloat. ??With indoor pools accessible to most, seniors can enjoy swimming year round without concern about water temperature or weather conditions.? It is also an activity you can enjoy with friends and family of all ages. ?You?re never too old to learn to swim. ??Classes are available throughout the year with private instructors, the YMCA, health clubs, universities and other facilities.
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If swimming laps isn?t appealing, aqua-aerobic sessions may interest you. Many health and fitness centers offer special classes for seniors looking for both a great form of exercise and a great place to socialize with other seniors.? Studies have shown that seniors who participate in aqua-aerobics (walking and dancing in the water), combined with strength training (lifting weights in the water), increase strength in their quadriceps, hamstrings and upper body.? This increase in strength is due to the resistance you easily experience in the water.? These water courses enhance flexibility, cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Participants have a choice of group activities in the pool or individual swimming in a dive tank. There is less strain on joints and ligaments so less chance for injury with this type of activity. In aqua-aerobics, an instructor demonstrates the various exercises of arms, legs and core body which are often done to music. These courses usually meet several times per week.
Water walking is another form of aqua-aerobics. It?s easy and fun for seniors.? You stand about waist- to chest-deep in water (unless you?re deep-water walking) and you walk through the water just as you would on land. ?You can walk backward and sideways to tone other muscles, or lift your knees higher, walk faster or pump your arms to boost the workout.? Water buoyancy supports the body?s weight, so there is less stress on joints. Water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so as you walk, you?re really strengthening and building muscle. You can water walk in any pool and it requires no equipment, so it?s convenient even when you?re traveling.? You do not bear weight while swimming and walking, however, so you?ll still need to add some weight bearing land exercises to your routine for maintaining bone strength and density.? You can also water walk in the deep end of the pool. The deeper the water, the more strenuous your workout.? For deep-water walking, use a flotation belt to keep you upright and floating at about shoulder height.
If you prefer to exercise at home and have the space available, stationary swimming pools are available.? These new fitness equipment systems are sometimes known as a ?treadmill for swimmers?. You can have them installed indoors and in places where there is not room for a traditional pool. They contain an adjustable current that allows users to swim or exercise in place. The current is broad, deep and suitable to every swimming ability and fitness need. You can also set the temperature precisely, based on preferences and needs.
For those with bone, muscle, or joint troubles, the warmth, buoyancy, and resistance of the water challenges the body while easing strain on problematic area so aquatic therapy is a great option for therapeutic recreation. Therapeutic recreation is a type of therapy that infuses physical therapy into a common recreational activity. Therapeutic recreation is a preferred form of physical and occupational therapy because it is more fun for the patient, it stimulates the brain and it provides opportunities for social interactions.? Seniors can greatly benefit from therapeutic recreation regardless of their physical strengths and weaknesses, as it can not only helps improve physical functions and mental functions impaired by disease and aging, but it can also help prevent the degradation of these functions in perfectly healthy individuals. This therapy option is especially good for patients who have severe pain and may not tolerate stretching and exercising on land and for those who have had total joint replacement surgery.? The buoyancy of the water helps to take pressure off the joint, allowing it to move better and with less pain than on land.? The water also provides resistance for strengthening while progressing through various activity levels.? Exercising in a 92-degree therapeutic pool is not only easier and less painful than on land, it causes vasodilation of blood vessels. This increases blood flow and promotes healing at the surgery site.
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According to the National Center for Health Statistics, only 32% of American seniors exercise on a daily basis, despite knowing that exercise is the prime element to keep the body fit and prevent all types of physical and mental declines. Improve this statistic.? Swim!
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For more information, please contact Riverside Rehabilitation at (570) 839-9975.?
Source: http://seniorstylenow.com/wordpress/2011/09/swimming-for-seniors/
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