PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ESSENTIAL TO HEALTHY AGING 

As we get older, our energy levels decrease, our bones become frail, and our risk of falling increases. Having a smart exercise regime is an important health recommendation we instruct our senior patients to prevent some of these problems.

It’s important for seniors to stay active and move more and sit less during any given day. Moderate intensity activities include walking briskly (three miles per hour speed), water aerobics, biking, tennis, ballroom dancing, and general gardening. Vigorous intensity exercise includes race walking, swimming laps, jump roping, heavy gardening, or uphill hiking.

A good way to measure your intensity is by the target heart rate. We estimate between 64-76 percent of the maximum heart rate. For moderate-intensity physical activity, the age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220-50 = 170 beats per minute (bpm). 64 to 76 percent of that level would be 109 to 129 bpm. For vigorous-intensity physical activity the percentages are higher at 77 to 93 percent or 142 to 172 bpm in that same example.

It is important to know how to check your heart rate. First, stop exercising briefly to take your pulse. You can take your pulse at your neck, wrist, or chest. We recommend the wrist. You can feel the radial pulse on the artery of the wrist in line with the thumb. Place the tips of the index and middle fingers over the artery and press lightly. Do not use the thumb as it has its own pulse. Take a full 60-second count of the heartbeat or take for 30 seconds and multiply by two.

The recommendation for older adults is around 30 minutes, five days per week of moderate intensity activity like brisk walking. Along with this, two days a week of muscle strengthening and improving balance type exercises.

Seniors may have limitations to exercise from medical problems like hip fractures, stroke, or osteoarthritis. Physical therapy can be an important resource to help design a specific exercise program that fits the limitations. Many of the senior communities we visit our patients in have great exercise programs, gait and balance activities, and on-site physical therapy.

There are great ways to be physically active while still socially distancing. These include household chores, increasing activity or exercise while watching TV, or outdoor activities like walking, light to moderate yard work, and house cleaning. Working closely with your physician is also very important. This will help maximize exercise goals while protecting you from further potential injury.

Hansa Medical Groupe has offices at 5250 Old Orchard Road, Suite 300, in Skokie, and in Chicago, 847-920-0902, hansamedicalgroupe.com.