Older and Stuck at Home? Expert Advice on Fitness
The New York Times • May 4, 2020
Experts who study exercise and aging offer tips for older adults during the coronavirus lockdown.
When we asked readers what they want to know about exercise and the coronavirus, many of you wrote that you were concerned about how to exercise and maintain fitness if you or someone you love is older or has functional limitations, such as arthritis or joint replacements. Experts who study exercise and aging had a lot to say.
Among their suggestions: Soup-can dumbbells and indoor gardening might help older people who are new to working out to weather the physical effects of a prolonged coronavirus lockdown. Access to a stairwell also is a boon, they say, but even a hallway can be a route to sustained fitness.
Past science suggests that any health impacts from prolonged home confinement are likely to be greatest among older people. In multiple studies, when adults of any age become more inactive because of illness, injury or requests from scientists, they rapidly lose strength and endurance and develop early signs of insulin resistance and molecular changes related to muscle loss. In younger people, such physiological weakening typically reverses as soon as they start moving and exercising normally again. But in older people, the effects can linger and accelerate the onset of frailty.
Some experts have begun to worry that this scenario is playing out among older people during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. “I think we’re seeing a slow-motion version of the kind of declines that usually occur when older people are hospitalized or bedridden,” says Dr. Louise Aronson, a professor of geriatrics and health at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of “Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life.”
Dr. Aronson and other exercise scientists offered a variety of recommendations about the types and amounts of activities older people might try to complete in their buildings, homes, living rooms or even chairs during the lockdowns to stave off frailty and maintain their health. The expert responses proved to be uniformly reassuring, boiling down to the advice that all of us, regardless of age, move whenever and however we can, using whatever equipment we already have at hand.
More specifically, the experts suggest starting with a focus on aerobic conditioning, which, in practical terms, means walking, if at all possible, but not necessarily formal walks. Instead, Dr. Aronson says, try to build movement into ostensibly sedentary parts of your day.
“During a phone call,” she says, “walk around the room or up and down a hallway” (assuming you are not using a landline). When you watch television, get up during each commercial break and stroll from room to room. Or if you have access to a stairwell, she says, climb a flight or two of steps, which provides a brief but effective aerobic workout and some leg strengthening. Wear a mask and gloves if the stairs are public, of course, and hold tight to the banister.
Ideally, older people should aim to stroll from room to room or up and down a corridor at least three times a day, Dr. Aronson says. “It may be only two or three minutes of activity at a time, but it all counts and adds up.”
Look, too, for opportunities for simple, low-tech muscle workouts, the experts all say. Even skimpy, intermittent resistance training can help people avoid shedding muscle mass and strength during this lockdown.
Consider the wall squat, for instance, says Dr. James Gladstone, the chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Health Center in New York City. This exercise requires little expertise or equipment, apart from a wall, but robustly improves leg strength. Simply stand upright a foot or so from a wall, legs shoulder distance apart. Press your back against the wall and slide down until your thighs are almost parallel with the ground. (Stop earlier if your knees hurt.) Hold this simulated sit as long as you can. “If that means five seconds, fine,” Dr. Gladstone says. Slide back up the wall, rest a few seconds, and slide down to sit again.
For upper-body strengthening, raid the pantry, suggests Jennifer Copeland, a professor and director of the Active Healthy Aging lab at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. Cans of soup or fluid-filled water bottles provide sufficient resistance for arm curls, she says. Grip those objects with your arms by your side, palms forward, and slowly bend your elbows to curl the can or bottle upward. Lower and repeat.
To strengthen shoulders, she says, partially fill an empty gallon milk jug with water, hold it with both hands in front of you, arms straight, and slowly raise it to about face height. Lower gently and repeat. You can do this exercise seated.
Similarly, to improve overall arm strength, re-seat yourself a few times, she says. In other words, when you start to get up from a chair, purposely sit back down and partially rise several additional times, using your arms for support and leverage.
And any time you visit the kitchen, slip in a few countertop push-ups, suggests K. Aleisha Fetters, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of the new book “Fitness Hacks for Over 50.” Position yourself a few feet away from the counter and lean toward it, hinging from the ankles, back straight. Grasp the edge with straight arms and bend and straighten your elbows. Complete as many modified push-ups as you can, she says, coinciding, perhaps with the length of time needed to warm your soup or coffee in the microwave. The idea, she says, is to “make fitness mesh seamlessly into your regular 24 hours.”
Even ordering seeds and starting an indoor herb garden, undemanding as that activity might seem, can “get people out of their chairs and standing and moving,” Dr. Copeland says. “Anything like that is good.”
Finally, if you prefer group activities or exercise variety, the internet is overflowing now with free exercise classes and instructional videos, Dr. Aronson says, many of them oriented toward older or inexperienced exercisers. Try a dance video if you feel vigorous and coordinated, she says, or tai chi for something gentler. Or Zoom a yoga class with friends, to stretch and reach together across the miles.
YouTube offers a variety of free home exercise programs:
Source: The New York Times
The Marshall-Harrison County Health District invites community members to attend the next Building Healthy Futures class, Navigating Aging, on Thursday, July 30, at 1:00 p.m. at the Harrison County AgriLife Extension Office (2005 Warren Drive, Marshall, Texas). Presented by the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas, this free educational class is designed to introduce older adults, caregivers, and family members to valuable programs and resources that support healthy, independent living. Participants will learn about the Area Agency on Aging's evidence-based intervention programs, which are designed to promote wellness, prevent falls, manage chronic health conditions, and improve overall quality of life. Attendees will also enjoy a nutritious snack provided during the class. In addition to the presentation, the Area Agency on Aging will conduct a brief community survey to gather input on the types of aging-related classes and services residents would like to see offered in Marshall and Harrison County. Community feedback will help shape future educational opportunities to better meet local needs. "Building Healthy Futures is about connecting our community with trusted resources that support health and well-being at every stage of life," said Jennifer Hancock, Executive Director of the Marshall-Harrison County Health District. "We're excited to partner with the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas to learn more about the classes and services they offer." The class is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended by visiting mhchd.org or by contacting the Marshall-Harrison County Health District at 903-938-8338.
Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme was “Champion Your Health.” In recognition of the month, the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas hosted three community events in Jacksonville, Marshall, and Athens, bringing together older adults, caregivers, staff, volunteers, and community partners to celebrate healthy aging and support older adults’ independence. More than 420 people attended the three events, where they received information and heard from experts on senior services, exercise programs, fraud and scams, and ways to take an active role in managing their health. Activities included on-site health screenings, evidence-based activity demonstrations, a Dementia Live demonstration, and the TxDOT Car Fit Program for Seniors. At some events, local officials also read proclamations recognizing May as Older Americans Month, including Cherokee County Judge Chris Davis, who presented the proclamation in Jacksonville. “We encourage older East Texans and their caregivers to connect with our agency to learn more about the resources and services available to help them live independently and remain active in their communities,” said Adrian Cornejo, ETCOG’s Director of the Area Agency on Aging. Special thanks to all event partners, sponsors, volunteers, AAA staff, and participants who helped make these Older Americans Month events a success!
