How older adults can stay motivated for regular exercise and physical activity

A group of 16 participants were gathered in a circle at the Murray Senior Recreation Center Tuesday morning, each with the necessary equipment, including a chair and dumbbells, as they followed their instructors through various exercises.

As the participants practiced balancing on one foot, Cathy Jeffs laughed at herself as she struggled to balance.

The members of the class varied in age and ability but they all did their best to get a workout during the class. The oldest in the class, Verna Harshberger, who at 94 years old wasn’t able to do the standing exercises, modified those exercises for herself while sitting in her chair.

Jeffs said Harshberger inspires her to come to class because “if she can do it, so can I.”

The class also had a few exercises that they had given nicknames to, such as “newspapers,” “sobriety test” and “Lisa’s gargoyle” which was named for another member of the class, Lisa Shadrieck.

While doing the “sobriety test” exercise, where they have to step directly in front of their other foot, Shadrieck laughed and said that if any in the group ever actually have to do a sobriety test “we’ll all pass. We’ve been practicing it for a long time,” she giggled

This class is the recreation center’s Overall Fitness class, a free class that includes a variety of exercises which help with strengthening, cardiovascular health and flexibility. The class is taught by kinesiology students from the University of Utah.

Exercise and physical activity are important for all ages, but as people age, staying active is important as it can help maintain independence and allows people to continue with common daily activities.

Here’s a look at how older adults can stay motivated for regular exercise as well as some guidelines on why physical activity is important and what it should look like.

Why exercising is important as you age

A major reason for people to exercise as they age is “to be able to maintain your independence and to keep doing the things, the activities of daily living, that are essential to be like an independent person.” said Traci Thompson, an assistant professor of health, kinesiology and recreation at the University of Utah.

Thompson said that strength training can help people be able to get in and out of chairs, carry their own groceries, climb stairs, pick up their grandkids and perform other daily activities.

“I think the major reason to lift weights is to keep your independence and keep being able to do all the things that people want to do,” Thompson said.

Cardiovascular exercise also helps in continuing daily independence and maintaining endurance. Thompson said that this can be helpful for attending family activities.

“When my kids were young, my parents wanted to come see them play soccer, right? So they would have to park kind of a long way away from the soccer field and walk all the way to the soccer field,” she said.

How to be motivated to exercise regularly

Staying motivated to exercise regularly can be hard sometimes, but there are a few things that people can do to help them have that motivation.

Rebecca Davenport, the academic program manager for the exercise science, sports and fitness department at the University of Utah, said it is important for people to enjoy what they‘re doing when exercising.

“Another thing to pull people in is find out what they do enjoy doing. Some people really love hiking. That‘s their jam. So go get them hiking, have them start there. Maybe they really love swimming,” she said.

Davenport added that exercising should be safe and it should be fun. If someone finds the activity that they‘re doing boring then they‘re not going to want to do it.

Thompson said remembering why they‘re exercising and what it will help them be able to do can also help in motivation.

“For a certain individual, it might be important that they are able to go to Disneyland with their family next year and be able to walk around,” Thompson said. “Another one might be being independent for a long period of time and not having to have someone take care of you.”

Social support can also help people continue with an exercise habit, and this can come in many forms.

Signing up for exercise classes can provide motivation because of the commitment to the class and having other people in the class who make it enjoyable.

The overall fitness class is a great example of this, Jeffs shared that she liked attending the class because she makes new friends and learns new exercises, adding that “everyone has been so nice.”

Jeffs first started attending classes at the recreation center after she came for help with her taxes and learned about all the resources the center had.

“I’m happy I came,” she said.

Mely Colotla, another regular attendee of the class who has been going for years, said likes going because she has fun and it helps her “feel good.”

Another form of social support is finding a friend or family member to exercise with. “Just knowing that that person is going to be waiting for you to come to the gym can help you get out the door,” Thompson said.

Recommendations for cardiovascular exercise

Regular cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is important for all adults.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that all healthy adults get at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.

Thompson gave examples of vigorous exercise: running, hiking and biking, just “something that‘s getting your heart rate up and you‘re working pretty hard.”

“That might not be realistic for all folks, whether or not they are older,” she said, adding that the 150 minutes of moderate physical activity acts as a good alternative “could be like gardening or taking a walk around the neighborhood or a more leisurely bike ride.”

Thompson said that some of these activities, especially the ones that are outdoors such as hiking and taking walks, can help with emotional and mental health as well.

Recommendations for strength training

Thompson said the ACSM recommends that adults do strength training at least two days a week. These strengthening exercises should also include every major muscle group.

These strength exercises can be done at home as body weight exercises, with dumbbells or bands, and can also be done at the gym. However, it is important to target each muscle group at least twice a week. It is also recommended to have a day of rest in between strength training days.

When it comes to deciding how long these strengthening sessions should be, Thompson said it is sort of a “pick your poison” type thing.

When someone is starting out, strength training should take around 30 to 45 minutes, Thompson said.

Strength training is important to help slow down the loss of lean muscle, which starts for most people around age 40.

“In some cases, we can stop it completely, but not forever. It will slowly get us, but to slow down that loss, the very best way to do that is to do strengthening exercises,” Thompson said.

According to Silver Sneakers, strength training can also help keep bones strong, boost mobility, prevent falls, fight depression and slow cognitive decline.

Focusing on the leg muscles can also be important, because many older adults struggle to get off the floor, according to Thompson.