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Never Too Old

Exercise and weight training can have a tremendous impact on quality
of life for older adults.

RUTHAN BRODSKY

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Sally Cliff works
out with Mature
Minglers.

DETROIT JE WISH NEWS

p

ick up any newspa-
per, magazine or
medical journal and
two themes stand
out: The problems of an ag-
ing, more dependent society,
and the greater awareness
that staying fit is essential
for a quality lifestyle in later life.
Although the relationship be-
tween age, health and physical
activity is complex, research
shows that the elderly can man-
age many of their age-related
problems by exercising. Physical
activity, emphasizing flexibility
and strength training, dramati-
cally improves the functional ca-
pacity of older people.
Seventy-year-old Marion Litt
of Southfield works out three
days a week in an aerobic class
for seniors at Southfield's Mc-
Donald Adult Senior Recreation
Center.
`There are about 15 people in
my aerobics class and we've got-
ten to know each other quite well,"
says Mrs. Litt. "On Wednesday, I
also attend a yoga class following
the exercise class. When I first
started, I took some inches off and
went down a size or two. Now, I
just feel very good and energized
after exercising. It's definitely a
stress reducer for me."

Not only does staying active of physical therapy at St. John
actually become more important Health Systems. "Research at
in aging because it reduces the Tufts University shows that the
risk of some diseases, but aging more common chronic illnesses
makes some kinds of exercise such as arthritis and heart dis-
more important than others. For ease are not necessarily a natur-
example, its important that the al sequence of aging. Genetics is
elderly work at staying strong. only one component of degener-
Adults lose 10 to 20 percent of ative diseases. The other com-
their muscle strength between ponent is lifestyle and that can
ages 20 and 50. By the time they be controlled. The keys are prop-
reach 70, they've lost an addi- er diet and the proper exercise,
tional 25 to 30 percent of mus- including strength training."
cle strength.
According to Ms. Ramus,
That loss of muscle makes it strength training wasn't part of
difficult to carry out everyday the recommended traditional ex-
tasks - lifting groceries, opening ercise program for the elderly
ajar, or getting up from a chair. even five years ago. Today, we
According to the July 1996 is- know better.
sue of Consumer Reports on
If the muscles and ligaments
Health, loss of strength is the are weak, they can't support the
leading cause of disability in old- joints such as the knee and hip
er people, second only to chron- or elbow which provide stability.
ic disease.
Not moving around results in
"It's one of the greatest mis- weight gain and weakens the
conceptions that aging is syn- joints and bones even more be-
onymous with illness," says cause they need stimulation from
Laura Ramus, assistant director the muscles to stay strong. All of

this accelerates arthritis.
"Strength training and stay-
ing supple, on the other hand;
while they can't prevent the on-
set of arthritis can slow down its
growth by eliminating the loss of
muscle," says Ms. Ramus.
"Young at Heart" is the name
of the new fitness program for
people 65 years and older at
Franklin Fitness and Racquet
Club in Southfield. Directed by
Joyce Weckstein, the project has
a series of activities for those with
little or no exercise experience as
well as for those who are fairly
active.
"Following a fitness evaluation
by our health director, recom-
mendations are made for an in-
dividually designed exercise
program," says Mrs. Weckstein.
"Members are shown how to use
the exercise machines and intro-
duced to the many activities, in-
cluding water aerobics, dance
aerobics, stretch and tone class-
es as well as lectures on nutrition

and staying mentally healthy.
The program just opened in No-
vember, so we don't have a track
record as yet, but the response so
far has been very positive."
In recent years, researchers
have emphasized the importance
of increasing muscle strength —
not just endurance — in the el-
derly.
Strength training is the only
way to avoid losing muscle. Even
regular aerobic exercise, which
means contracting your muscles
many times with little or no re-
sistance, doesn't prevent loss of
muscle mass. Runners still lose
muscle mass, even if they're high-
ly active.
Moreover, an older person is
more prone to stiffness and or-
thopedic injury because of inac-
tivity. Muscles are stiffer and
tendons and joints are not as
strong and elastic. Once a person
starts strengthening those joints
and muscles, he or she won't feel
as stiff and is more likely to play

