About Senior Exercise Programs

As seniors, and I am 64, by the way, you and I are aware that we are different from many portions of the population which is catered to by exercise publications and equipment. However, that does not mean that we are so different that we cannot make use of the same information, guidance, and resources that "young folk" do. We just have to "exercise" (pun intended) some of that wisdom that supposedly comes with getting older.

Notice, I did NOT say, "old age". I'm not there yet and neither are you!

Actually, senior exercise programs, in most cases, can be essentially the same as any exercise program presented to younger people, just adjusted for the facts of life.

For example, younger folk may do a lot of bouncing around, while many of us...ahem...more mature individuals, will want to use less bouncing and more around in our senior exercise programs.

Of course, as in so many other things, a lot will depend on the individual, but as we age, joints tend to wear out, various conditions surface, and we have to take those things into account.

Another example of what we might need to consider when planning our senior exercise programs is the fact that, as we age, we lose a certain amount of strength. Even the most physically fit individual will commonly only be able to lift a portion of what he or she could lift a few years previously.

So, when you pick up an exercise book written by younger people FOR younger people, realize that you can probably still do most of the exercises, but maybe not at the same level of intensity as before. Those in senior exercise programs should realize, in fact, that, while they can do almost anything the young people do, they probably cannot do it at quite the same level.

It really doesn't seem to matter too much what kind of exercise or activity we are talking about, seniors can probably do it, they just need to adjust their expectations and goals to fit reality. This is not really too hard because first of all we are probably grateful that we DON'T have to work as hard as before, and the pressure is off to perform at some jock-like level.

When we were younger, we wanted big biceps or bosoms, but now we are grateful to have okay biceps or bosoms, and a little regular physical activity...okay, "exercise"...can help us attain our goals.

So, whether you are into yoga, weight lifting, swimming, biking, or some other example of the many senior exercise programs possible, you can do it and have fun. That's nice, isn't it: doing something that's good for you and having fun at the same time?

There are probably as many possible different senior exercise programs as there are seniors, so get out there and figure out what yours is.

Donovan Baldwin is a 64-year-young amateur bodybuilder and freelance writer currently living in Stone Mountain, GA. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has recently posted a relevant article, "Exercise and Weight Training for Seniors on his website at http://nodiet4me.com/exercise/seniors/weight_training.html .