Exercise smarter not harder means that your exercise routine is the right one for you and gives you the most health benefits for the effort. Just exercising more is not always the best approach especially in the beginning when starting an exercise program. The best routine takes into account any medical symptoms or illness you may have, disease prevention (especially if you have a family history of a particular disease) and is balanced.

Exercise is medicine and something you can incorporate into everyday regardless of your physical ability. Exercise is important for so many reasons including:

• General cardiovascular health and stamina
• Disease prevention- diabetes, heart disease, colon diseases, cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimer’s- the list goes on!
• Enhanced motor performance and energy
• Improved pain, mood, memory, confidence, sleep and wellbeing
• Enhanced brain activity through neuroplasticity
• Reduced stress and preserved telomere length (learn more about telomere length, longevity and the Mediteranean diet.)

 Before discussing the best exercise for older adult, lets first talk about the major categories of exercise:

• Aerobic: exercises that increase heart rate such as fast paced walking, jogging, rowing, and cycling
• Strengthening or resistance training: exercises to strengthen muscle, associated tendon and ligaments and joint stability such as weight lifting
• Flexibility: exercise that increase muscle length and joint flexibility such as stretching or yoga
• Agility, balance, and coordination: exercises that focus on postural alignment, coordination, speed or graceful flow of sequential movements such as dance, boxing, and yoga
• Cognitive-sensory-motor integration: exercises that use the any or all of the senses along with emotional and cognitive challenges. These types of exercises are often creative or pose unique challenges while moving such as dancing or obstacle courses.
• Mind-body: exercises that combine active engagement of the mind with focus on the breath, bodily sensations and alignment, imagery, and emotional feelings such as yoga or techniques like Feldenkrais®.
• Daily Activity: We typically do not think about our daily chores as exercise but they certainly are- walking across a parking lot, vacuuming shoveling, gardening- every bit counts.

Image Credit: ACSM

When thinking about the recommended guidance, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and defeated. To achieve this each week seems like a fulltime job!

Before you jump into developing your exercise plan- take a moment to answer these questions:

• Are you truly ready and motivated?
• How do I stay safe and avoid injury?
• What is my goal?
• What is most interesting to me?
• How will I measure my activity and progress?
• What exercise routine will I do?

heck in with your doctor of health care professional to be sure that your exercise program is safe and the right one for you. Don’t skip this part since a tailored exercise prescription will help you avoid injury, un-necessary stress on a health condition and focus your exercise smartly on your needs (remember smarter not harder). Depending on your health status, you may need additional tests such as blood work or tests of lung or cardiac function (ECG or stress test). They may also recommend specific exercises if you have conditions such as osteoporosis or osteopenia (decrease in bone density), arthritis, diabetes, asthma or COPD (obstructive pulmonary disease), neurologic conditions or struggle with excessive weight, long-Covid, fibromyalgia, pain, anxiety or depression to name a few. This could include a referral to a physical therapist. A physical therapist can work with you to develop a home exercise program tailored to your specific disease or symptoms. In some circumstances, a cardiac rehabilitation program may be necessary to build up your fitness abilities.

 If you choose to work with a personal trainer- choose wisely. A personal trainer is not a healthcare provider but is trained in developing exercise programs for fitness. Look for one that has the appropriate certification and focus on older adults. 

Avoid physical harm by:

• Starting small and building up. Even 5 minutes can make a difference. (I started my exercise program many years ago by simply running the distance between two street “telephone poles.”)
• Cross train- this means doing different exercises focusing on different parts of the body or types of exercise each day
• Listen to your body. If mild discomfort turns to pain this is a warning sign. Stop, seek guidance and adjust.
• Wear the right shoes and use the right equipment.
• Drink water, wear sun screen and protect from the sun.
• Check in with Age Celebrated often as we continue bring you more information about exercise for specific disease, personal trainers, exercise nutrition and more.

 BrWhat is My Goal?

Think about your goal and which goal is most important as this will help you tailor your program to your goal. The Exercise Smarter Not Harder:  Personalize My Exercise Worksheet can help you.

Example of Common Goals:

• Brain health including emotional and cognitive preservation
• To reduce or treat the symptoms of a disease, illness or symptom
• Reduce or delay physical changes of aging such as loss of muscle, changes in balance, posture
• General fitness and wellbeing
• Cardiovascular fitness and improved energy, stamina and endurance
• Enhanced physical performance such as coordination, speed, grace, agility, confidence with movement- simple stretches
• Strength and Flexibility
• Bone strength

With the appropriate guidance in hand, focus on safety and clear idea of goals, you are ready to put together a Smart Exercise Program (coming soon- Exercise Smarter Not Harder Part 2) 

Best Exercise for Older Adults Exercise Smarter Not Harder Part 2:

Next Step(s): Design Your Exercise Program for Results and Long-term Success

Exercise for older adults- Smarter Not Harder Part 2 will cover topics such as:

• What types of exercise interests me most and is a good starting point?
• What could my program look like?
• How do I measure my efforts?
• How will I measure my activity and progress?
• How will I stay motivated?