IS “STRENUOUS” EXERCISE NECESSARY FOR SENIORS?
Not so, says national award-winning fitness trainer Stephanie Dyess
Courtesy The Tradition-Prestonwood, Collin County LIVING WELL Magazine
The news is out—one key to successful aging is exercise, and seniors across the nation are living proof. A recent U.S. News and World Report article cites that “At neighborhood gyms and retirement communities throughout the country, a pronounced fitness and wellness trend is making itself felt.” The piece pointed out that seniors are looking for “more than just a gym” in their communities and are “demanding much higher levels of physical fitness facilities and programs.”
While Fitness Director and Trainer Stephanie Dyess applauds this senior fitness trend, she warns against seniors seeking strenuous exercise.
“I’ve worked in six senior communities, and most older adults are looking for gentle workouts —and that’s actually what is best for them,” says Dyess, a national award-winning fitness trainer at The Tradition-Prestonwood retirement community. She notes that words like “strenuous,” “vigorous,” “more aggressive weight and cardiovascular programs” are not in line with what she encourages for her clients. “Older adults most often bring physical challenges, including osteoporosis, that require intelligent, very personalized fitness programs,” she says. “A good senior fitness program provides this.”
Personal Assessments Are Key
Ideally, says Dyess, each resident participating in a fitness program should first receive from the fitness director a personal assessment to determine how he or she should begin, and then progress. Included should be assessments of balance, gait, mobility, posture, joint stability, and bone density numbers for each individual.
Texas is Not Colorado
Admittedly, geography does play into fitness. Colorado, for example, encourages fitness by virtue of glorious mountains on which to ski and climb. Seniors in tiptop shape there can certainly seek vigorous exercise programs. Texas, on the other hand, is flat, and, therefore, in line with most other states when it comes to levels of fitness. “Most of the residents I work with from Texas need to start slow, even if they want to plunge in with vigorous workouts,” says Dyess.
“Slow and Steady Wins the Race”
Indeed, she encourages many of her apparently “fittest” residents to be careful and slow down due to their low levels of bone density, which can lead to fractures. A good fitness trainer, she says, should do everything possible to minimize fractures. The Journal of the American Medical Association, published in 2009, explains that fractures in the hip can result in decreased mobility, deep vein thrombosis, and blockages in arteries. The article reports that fractures of the hip and vertebra—as well as other major fractures—increase premature mortality.
Concern about fractures is one reason Dyess would encourage any older adult to begin a fitness program very carefully. With a gymnast background, she understands the desire to go fast. But for older populations, slow is the smart path rather than short-term, instant gratification.
A Balanced Approach
One example of a slower approach is balance class, which can seem interminable to impatient older adults who want to “get with it!” The importance of “progression” should be emphasized, small steps, one leading to another. This sends important feedback up through the brain, which translates to good body responses. She hears herself saying to clients, “Don’t go so fast! You’re skipping first grade! You can’t bound into high school yet!”
Patience and perseverance in balance class is a virtue, for a decrease in balance is directly linked to the increase of falls, an increase in fractures, and a higher mortality rate.
Final Word
“With customized and thoughtful programming, a good retirement community should promote longevity and feeling good,” says Dyess. “To get there, it’s not necessary for older adults even to break a sweat.”
What to look for in your fitness program/gym:
A careful, individual physical assessment by the fitness director prior to prescribing any program
Customized individual fitness programs
State-of-the-art fitness equipment designed specifically for special populations (including older adults) and STOTT Pilates equipment
Group exercises on a wooden floor with padding underneath (lower impact and “joint friendly”)
Group water aerobics in an indoor pool with abundant natural light. (Should offer three levels of water aerobics exercises.)
A variety of exercise classes to accommodate individuals at all levels of fitness, from a beginner’s chair class and tai chi to a more advanced circuit class (a strength conditioning class) and dance class.
Stephanie Dyess beat out several fitness giants in the national Nova 7 Awards, garnering her an award in two categories: innovative assessment and prescription program. To learn more about The Tradition-Prestonwood retirement community or the fitness program, please call 972-388-1144.
