One of my most requested clinical presentations is 9 Steps to Successful Aging. In this talk I share the nine common lifestyle characteristics identified by scientists from the renowned Blue Zone study. The Blue Zone regions, scattered around the world, have some of the highest concentrations of centenarians.
One of the characteristics I talk about is moving naturally. This concept is about creating the right environment to allow you to be active without thinking about it. For example, gardening, walking your dog and even finding a comfortably distant parking spot at the grocery store.
In this blog I discuss the clinical benefits of movement. Science continues to prove that the body’s 11 major systems including the immune, skeletal, and muscular system need daily movement and activity to maintain or improve health.
A recent Australian study of seniors aged 55 – 68 that exercised regularly and enjoyed a daily plan of physical activity not only strengthened or maintained their muscles, but also helped maintain and improve their cognitive functioning while staving off the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
While the majority of seniors understand that moving around during the day is important some of the latest medical findings show that sitting too long can actually put a strain on the spinal cord and ultimately prevent the lungs from fully expanding. When the lungs can’t expand fully there is less oxygen being sent throughout the body causing every system to suffer. When there is a lack of oxygen in the body there is also a lack of oxygen being sent to the brain which leads to the loss in the ability to focus and communicate effectively.
The good news is that in addition to helping every system in the body improve and get stronger while working more efficiently, seniors who incorporate a program of regular movement and exercise also produce a fat-burning hormone called Irisin. Irisin is released through movement and exercise and helps reduce arterial plaque buildup; this lowers the risk of atherosclerosis while increasing the metabolic rate and energy expenditure in the thickest layer of the heart muscle. On top of that, this wonderful hormone helps keep the body from forming fat cells by 20 to 60 percent.
In addition to helping shed pounds, by incorporating movement into the daily activities the active senior it also helps strengthen their skeleton, lower their cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar while helping maintain a healthy weight. All of this proves that a regular program of movement and activity really is the medicine of the future and should be used to maintain and improve the lifestyle of the active senior.
Find activities that give you the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, especially when we’re having such a nice fall season.