4 Myths About Exercise and Aging

Can you remember the last time you went to the gym? Are you not feeling your best?

You might think it’s too late to restore your health and start again. But you’re mistaken. At any age, it’s possible to get fitter and healthier. Often, the main barrier to exercise is just mental.

Research shows that even modest physical activity has proven benefits, yet 28% of Americans aged 50 and older lead a sedentary lifestyle. A recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms this.

Exercise reduces the risk of falls and bone fractures and helps older adults maintain their ability to live independently. Active older adults also face fewer restrictions and have a lower risk of falling and injuring their bones. Physical activity can also help prevent dementia and cognitive decline. Additionally, it can boost your mood and help mitigate the effects of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression.

If you are over 65, avoid the following:

• Weightlifting while squatting

• Bench press

• Leg press

• Long-distance running

• Abdominal push-ups

• Rowing

• Deadlifts

• High-intensity training

A study conducted at the University of Birmingham found that men over 60 who had exercised for 20 years or more had increased muscle mass compared to those who had not exercised.

The study involved a 48-hour exercise sample: one before drinking an isotope tracer and exercising, and another after the workout. The drink allowed researchers to observe how proteins were forming in the muscles.

The research shows that muscles can develop equally well through exercise.

Lead researcher Leigh Breen, PhD, states: “Our study clearly shows that it doesn’t matter if you haven’t been a regular exerciser throughout your life: you can still benefit from exercise at any age.”

Experts recommend that older adults focus on endurance, balance, strength, and flexibility. Brisk walking, dancing, and other endurance activities benefit your heart, lungs, and circulation. These activities can make daily tasks—like climbing stairs, cooking, or running errands—easier. Strength training, such as lifting weights or using resistance bands, helps improve muscle strength, which is useful for lifting children or carrying groceries. Falls are a major health risk for older adults. Stretching or yoga can increase your range of motion, helping you bend over to lift boxes or turn your head while backing up a car.

Myth #1: I’m too oldPeople who do not exercise have twice the risk of developing heart disease and a greater need for medical care and medication. Moving is far safer than staying sedentary and slows down aging.

Being active at a young age and maintaining it throughout life improves health and reduces mortality risk. However, studies show that starting exercise later in life also provides health benefits (Saint-Maurice, Kelly, Coughlan, 2019).

Myth #2: I’ll hurt myselfConsult your doctor before starting an exercise program. As your fitness improves, the risk of injury decreases. Bone density decreases with age in both men and women, but strength training can reverse this loss and strengthen bones. Healthy bones improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.

Exercise can also help reduce arthritis pain. Suitable exercises for arthritis include strength training, low-impact cardio, and range-of-motion activities. Muscles and ligaments may strain, but exercise reduces pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

Myth #3: My heart isn’t strong enoughExercise protects arteries from damage caused by high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure, strengthens the heart muscle, and helps maintain a healthy weight.

Studies show that sufficient exercise can counteract damage to sedentary, aging hearts and reduce the risk of heart failure. It also increases the muscles’ ability to extract oxygen from the blood.

Exercise positively affects stress hormones, reducing pressure on the heart. It lowers blood pressure, slows heart rate, raises “good” HDL cholesterol, and helps regulate triglycerides.

When done regularly, exercise strengthens the heart rather than putting it at risk.

Myth #4: I can’t afford to exerciseLack of time is a common barrier to exercise after age 41. This is understandable because work, children, and other responsibilities fill most of the day, leaving little time for exercise.

Making exercise a regular habit helps because it becomes automatic—humans are creatures of habit. Exercise improves physical health, mood, focus, memory, and happiness, regardless of age.

Tips to get started on a busy day:

• Put on supportive athletic shoes and your Parrotias thermal top and bottom (for cold days) and go for a jog or walk.

• Spend an hour gardening in your backyard with Parrotias gardening gloves for safety.

• Wear Parrotias Petbrushing gloves and groom your pet.

• Use canned goods as light weights for resistance training.

• Walk up and down stairs or use your body weight.

Where to Start?Consistency is the most important factor for building an exercise habit.

Start slowly—just 15 minutes a day—and gradually increase intensity and duration.

Studies show that three 10-minute exercise sessions have the same benefits as one continuous 30-minute session.

Combining endurance and strength exercises may be the best way to stay healthier for longer as you age.

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends that adults aged 18–64 get 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of high-intensity activity weekly, plus muscle-strengthening exercises two or more days a week. Adults 65 and older should remain as active as their body and health allow and practice balance exercises to prevent falls.

Even for people with limitations or obesity, just getting up and moving for 10 minutes can benefit health.

No matter our age, we realize what’s important in life: taking care of ourselves!

Maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and staying active is vital for quality of life.

Activities like yoga, strength training, golf, dancing, and aqua aerobics improve strength, balance, flexibility, and mental health.

Tailor activities to your interests. For example, a grandmother can have fun stretching while using Parrotias soft cleaning cloths for wiping and drying surfaces.

Enjoy it and make it part of your daily routine. Being active can delay or prevent health problems. Older adults benefit even more from improved physical and mental health by moving more and sitting less. Any daily activity is better than none.

The idea is to start a new, healthier, and active chapter in your life.

Be kind to yourself: prioritize your health, stay active, have fun, and enjoy life.

Start now—gently, slowly, and gradually. Don’t let anything stop you!

Give yourself credit for moving: “Movement is medicine!”