How to get and stay active

Advice from your local medical providers

By Julie Kailus for Aging at Altitude

Science and vast studies have proven it: If you want to age well, you have to stay active.

Physical activity can help lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. It also improves strength and balance, which can help prevent those injuries that become so common as our bodies succumb to age-related decline. Staying active is tied to helping lower chronic pain, boosting your mood and helping to alleviate symptoms related to anxiety or depression.

Exercise prevents cell death. Research has shown that telomerase, the enzyme that helps with cell regeneration, increases with exercise,” says Dr. Cliff Gronseth of Spine West. “If your cells lose their telomeres (tails at the end of your DNA strands), they stop working and even die.”

The good news is movement is for everyone –at every age. Here are some more tips for getting – and staying – active.

Mix It Up

Try to create a mix of aerobic, musclestrengthening and balance activities. Talk to your doctor first about where to start based on your current activity level.

Aerobic activities, such as walking, dancing or swimming, get your heart beating faster and build healthy endurance. You can add strength surprisingly quickly right at home with exercise bands and hand weights. And balance exercises like standing on one foot, walking backward or sideways, or yoga or tai chi moves, help balance it all out.

But as you start to increase your weekly activity be sure to monitor your rest and recovery. It’s safe to move every day, and important to keep in mind the “relative rest” rule for exercise. “If your knees hurt while walking, do something else like swimming or biking,” says Dr. Gronseth. “It’s a 3-to-1 rule for rehab. Every day at rest takes three days to regain strength and endurance lost. So keep moving.”

Consider Heat Therapy

When it comes to taking care of your moving body, heat may be one secret to success. Holden Hemingway, a postdoctoral fellow at the Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, says a hot tub or sauna could be beneficial to your health.

“There is evidence that regular increases in body temperature (also known as heat therapy) can partially mimic the beneficial effects of exercise,” he says. The laboratory is currently researching how sitting in a hot tub three times a week for three months can lower blood pressure and improve vascular function in adults over 50 with above-normal blood pressure.

“Heat therapy may also be used to jumpstart or supplement a traditional exercise program,” Hemingway says. “There is evidence that heat therapy in conjunction with an exercise program can increase the benefits seen compared to exercise alone.”

Care For Your Joints

It’s no mystery why we’re often injuring or even replacing joints like knees and hips as we age. Over time they just wear out. Your goal? Protect and preserve your moving parts the best you can by advocating for your health.

“Empower yourself to find a healthcare provider that personalizes the treatment plan to your goals,” advises Dr. Andrew Allen of Spruce Health Group, who knows how osteoarthritic joint pain can challenge the ability to remain active and thrive.

“You don’t have to settle for outdated medicine or jump right into a major surgery. There are tiers of joint pain relief options to keep them moving,” he says.

“Steroids injections are an initial step, but if needed you can explore the next levels of non-opioid pain relief and tissue transplants.”

When it comes to staying active, Spencer Frenchman, DPT, Spruce Health Group, says to ask yourself an honest question: What form of movement do I truly enjoy?

“There is no magic exercise that is right for everyone, and the best one for most people is the one you are excited to do,” he says. “Do it as often as you can. If pain or another issue is preventing you from participating in it, visit us. We will help you return to what you love.”