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Fitness for Seniors
Five Tips to Help Senior Citizens Begin Walking for
Better Health
Once begun, people
tend to stick with walking programs
May 1, 2006 - Walking isnt such a difficult thing
most of us have been doing it since we were very young. But starting
and maintaining a regular walking program can be daunting, especially
for senior citizens, even though the benefits have been well documented.
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Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., assistant professor
in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan
Medical School, has some suggestions for people who want to get started.
She also offers reminders of the myriad benefits of beginning an
exercise program.
Walking programs can be very effective in helping
people get into shape, improve their cardiovascular fitness levels and,
to some degree, lose weight, she says, adding that one key benefit is
that people tend to stick with walking programs. Walking does seem to
be better than more vigorous activities for adherence.
Richardsons five tips for starting a walking
program:
1. Find a buddy with whom you can walk regularly. A friend can
encourage you to walk on days when you arent motivated and can help you
continue walking at a good pace.
2. Use a pedometer. This will help you
keep track of your steps and can be an excellent motivator. Perhaps the
most important thing to do is to get yourself a pedometer. Pedometers
really help you see how much youre walking and see when youre
successful, Richardson says. Studies at the U-M Health System and
Veterans Affairs are exploring the benefits of pedometer use (see more
below).
3. Schedule regular walks in a PDA or
calendar. This helps to ensure that you have a set time every day for
walking, Richardson notes.
4. If you have chronic medical problems
such as heart disease or diabetes, you might want to check with you
doctor to make sure a walking program is safe for you.
5. Start slowly if you need to just get
started. Just get up and walk around the block, Richardson says.
Somewhere between three and four miles an hour should be your goal, but
if you have to work up to that gradually, its better to walk slowly
than to do nothing.
Seven health benefits of walking:
Improvement of cardiovascular function and possibly a reduction in
the chances of having a heart attack
Potential weight loss or weight control
Reduction in blood pressure
Has been found to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of
depression
Has a positive impact on the health of people with diabetes
Helps build endurance and muscle strength
Helps build and maintain bones and muscles
Richardson who also is a research scientist at
the Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Service in
Ann Arbor and at U-Ms Institute for Research on Women and Gender is
involved in studies looking at walking. Most of the projects involve
using pedometers to help people start walking programs. The studies
focus on people who have an illness or risk factor for an illness, such
as diabetes or heart disease.
Many of the programs at U-M and the VA use enhanced
pedometers that is, pedometers that automatically upload step-count
data to the Internet that can help users see graphs and feedback that
assist with goal-setting on a personalized Web page.
An enhanced pedometer can really help you keep
track of your walking goals and your successes, she notes.
For more information, visit these Web
sites:
●
UMHS Health Topics A-Z: Exercise to stay healthy
●
UMHS Health Topics A-Z: Tips for starting an exercise program
●
National Institutes of Health: Walking, a Step in the Right Direction
●
UMHS Health Topics A-Z: Advantages of walking to school
●
UMHS Health Topics A-Z: Running shoes, finding the right fit
●
UMHS Health Topics A-Z: The role of exercise in treating obesity
Original report by Katie Gazella
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