Older People Must Build Muscle To Stay Fit

It's easy as one gets older to just sit and let the world go by. It's even easier with television and computer games to keep them amused. But the fact is that to stay fit one needs to work out and build the muscles that have wasted away from inactivity. As the weaken so do those of the heart and lungs and simple walking does help but it's not enough. So, what does one do?

As an older person my body has problems that are both related to sitting a lot, because I write, and a bit of laziness. The house is maintenance free and my robots do the work that once called on me to perform. This has resulted in loss of balance and wasted muscles.

When older people fall, which they do a lot, they find it difficult to get up because the muscles are not there to help. The strength in the arms and legs make it very difficult to get the tension to lift the body. That is why improving balance and building up the strength is extra important.

In my case I joined a gym. This is the first time I have ever been inside one and while it is close to my home it is also women's only. It has been a great experience and with the many friends made already it has lifted my focus away from the computer for hours on end. That’s a good thing as well.

There are PT classes included in the fee and they are based around balance, cardio and heart, and lots of other things. The trainers can also be hired for half hour sessions, which I found useful for explaining how the various machines work. Now instead of walking I ride a bike for half an hour to strengthen my leg muscles. This has made an enormous difference to my back and the supporting stomach muscles.

Weights are something I take a little of but don't push it because of the torn rota tor cuffs suffered because of a fall seventeen years ago. Many older people have this problem while many others have body replacements. These many are in the knees and hips. Keeping their muscles strong is essential so there are many with these situations at the gym.

Other machines help to stimulate the heart, such as the rowing machine. Push-ups against the bars are another good exercise while the floor allows sit-ups and other maneuvers that all help with strengthening the legs and arms. After only a few sessions I could easily rise from the floor making it possible to recover from a fall.

While we go by our used-by-date in today's world we have all the advantages to help us survive. The problem is that most people don't see it that way.