Today I will be starting my volunteering at Freedom Pointe Assisted Living Facility, where I will be leading an exercise class for the residents. I am so excited to get the opportunity to lead their "B-Fit" exercise program and meet the residents. In the coming weeks I will be posting a youtube video of the exercises geared toward people with limited mobility. If you, your parent, your grandparent, or your friend are interested in this, be sure to check it out! Exercise and good nutrition at every is crucial. When we get older, it is important for us to maintain our muscle mass. As we age, our body composition changes, especially our lean body mass, our fat, and a subsequent loss of physical resilience. As for muscle, the old saying goes "use it or lose it". Our fat-free mass decreases a whopping 15% from age 20 to 70 with older people having lower mineral, water, and muscle reserves to draw from. So you might ask how can we potentially decrease this from happening? If you commit to at least 150 minutes each week of exercising with weight-bearing and resistance exercise/training incorporated, you can increase your lean muscle mass and bone density. Another noteworthy fact is that our mean body weight gradually increases as we age and between the ages of 50 to 59 is where we see it hit its peak. Weight gain and accumulation of fat due to lack of estrogen does accompany aging, but it is not inevitable. Nutrition is also a key factor. When we age, our hunger and satiety cues weaken, so older adults need to be conscious of their food intake levels because of possible appetite-regulation reductions. Since our caloric intake decreases as we age, we need to consume more nutrient dense foods to achieve a balanced diet. So as you grow older keep in mind the changes that are occurring in your body!
Hope you all have a great day and be sure to come back for more blog postings! :)
-Laura
Hope you all have a great day and be sure to come back for more blog postings! :)
-Laura