Here’s Why Tai Chi is Good For the Elderly

Exercise is one of the most important keys to maintaining physical health and emotional wellbeing. But as our bodies get older, we become limited in the types of exercise we can do. Falls and injury prevention become a high priority, which tends to cross high-impact exercise off the list. The good news is that some low-impact activities have many of the same benefits as conventional exercise. And a few, like Tai Chi, may even have more.  

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that involves a series of slow, focused movements and deep breathing exercises. It is often described as meditation in motion.  But don’t let this calm, peaceful, low-impact exercise fool you—it’s real exercise, and the benefits are numerous. Tai Chi is particularly beneficial for the elderly because it provides them with the same great benefits as conventional exercise without the risk of injury.  Plus, it offers a few benefits above and beyond those typically expected from conventional exercise. Here’s why Tai Chi is good for the elderly.  

Balance

The slow deliberate movements of Tai Chi help older adults improve their balance. Studies have shown that Tai Chi is one of the best exercises to help reduce falls in seniors. 

Strength

Tai Chi strengthens and tones the whole body and is particularly good for the elderly because of its focus on low impact movements that provide a low risk of injury. 

Hand-eye coordination

A 2008 study of motor control and hand-eye coordination tested a group of elderly long-term Tai Chi practitioners (three years or more) against a control group of healthy seniors who had never practiced Tai Chi before. The study concluded that the Tai Chi group had better results on the hand-eye coordination test than the control group. 

Blood circulation and blood pressure

The combination of stretching and relaxing movements improves blood flow through the veins, allowing it to supply your body with a steady supply of nourishing oxygen and nutrients. Studies also suggest that Tai Chi can lower blood pressure in older adults as effectively as aerobic exercise.

Sleep quality

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disturbances in the elderly. Tai Chi is said to be just as effective as conventional exercise in improving sleep quality and may be a better alternative for older populations because of its low-impact movements. 

Cognitive function and memory

Tai Chi is good for the whole body, including the brain. The breathing exercises help to increase oxygenation and blood flow to the brain, activate the parasympathetic system, and calm the mind, all of which affect cognitive areas of the brain in a positive way. Tai Chi also activates body awareness, mindfulness, spatial memory, and other memory functions that help keep the brain sharp. 

Symptoms of depression and anxiety

Research suggests that Tai Chi may be able to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. One hypothesis is that while the attention is focused on body posture, movement, and breathing, attention is taken away from the stressors. This suggests that repeated practice can modulate the resting state of the areas of the brain involved with attentional control, providing relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety.  

Tai Chi has numerous benefits for helping seniors to stay fit, healthy, and in good spirits. 

Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and More at Bella Vista

If you’re struggling with pain or mobility and finding it difficult to get the exercise you need to stay healthy, Bella Vista Health Center may be able to help. We offer a wide range of health services for seniors at our 5-Star skilled nursing facility. Our physical therapy program, occupational therapy program, or other services could be just what you need to optimize your health and your quality of life. For more information on our services, or to schedule a tour of our facility, give us a call at (619) 644-1000 today. 

Can Too Much Exercise Cause Joint Pain?

“No pain no gain,” is a common saying many people use to motivate themselves in the gym or on the field.  And while it’s true that pushing physical boundaries is a part of the process of building strength and endurance, overdoing it causes damage to our bodies. High impact exercise in particular can damage the cartilage in the knee joints and increase the risk of developing arthritis. To complicate matters slightly, it is also true that exercise can help minimize or alleviate joint pain. The key to exercise and healthy joints lies in what you do and how you do it. Read on for more information about exercise and joint pain.   

Exercise and joint pain

If your joints hurt during exercise, it’s important to ease up on the intensity or focus your exercise on a different part of the body for a couple of days. Some stiffness may be expected before your joints and muscles get warmed up, but if the pain does not subside after a few minutes of warming up, do not try to push through it, as you could risk serious damage to your cartilage and potential problems with osteoarthritis in the future. 

Most people think joint pain automatically signals arthritis, but joint pain can be caused by a number of different factors, including: 

• Arthritis - Inflammation of the joints

• Injury - to the joint or the muscles around the joint

• Tendonitis - inflammation of the tendons (tissues that connect the bones and joints) 

• Excess weight - puts stress and strain on the joints

• Intense, high-impact exercises - can damage cartilage

• Repetitive movements at work - overuse can wear away cartilage

• Aging - cartilage becomes thinner and fluid in joints decreases, increasing the risk of painful bone-on-bone friction

• Inactivity - promotes weight gain and weakens muscles that protect the joint

Joint pain during exercise is a sign that something is wrong. Your doctor can help determine the cause and guide you toward a solution. It may be recommended that you work with a physical therapist who can help design a quality workout that’s good for your joints. Your current exercise program may need to be modified to decrease the intensity and impact or strengthen the muscles around the joint in order to protect your joints from additional pain. 

It’s important not to give up on exercise altogether or even postpone it indefinitely because exercise is an important factor in maintaining healthy joints.  Research shows that regular exercise helps decrease the inflammation associated with joint pain. It can also help reduce the stress of having excess weight on your joints. Physical therapists are a wonderful resource for creating exercise programs designed for minimum joint pain and maximum joint health.  

Best exercises for joint pain

The best exercises for joint pain are determined by the cause of your joint pain and other factors including the strength of the muscles around your joint. Your doctor and physical therapist will work together to create a customized exercise prescription just for you. But in general, low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, strength training, cycling, yoga, and pilates can help keep your joints lubricated.  While high-impact exercises typically aren’t recommended for people with joint pain, one study found that selective and strategically implemented high-impact exercises actually increased knee cartilage quality in participants.  This further emphasizes the importance of working closely with a physical therapist who can help develop a safe and effective customized exercise program designed to keep you fit and your joints healthy. 

Physical therapy for joint pain at Bella Vista Health Center

Whether you have joint pain from injury, arthritis, or surgery, physical therapy can help provide you with relief as well as protection from further injury or joint damage. At Bella Vista Health Center, our physical therapists work closely with doctors and other members of the treatment team to create customized treatment plans designed to help patients regain their strength, optimize their joint health, and improve their quality of life. If joint pain is keeping you from participating in the activities you love, give us a call at (619) 644-1000 or come visit our 5-Star skilled nursing facility in Lemon Grove today.  

How Exercise and Recovery Change with Age

How Exercise and Recovery Change with Age

Your entire life you’ve been told exercise is good for you. The benefits are plentiful: It keeps your heart and bones healthy, prevents unhealthy weight gain, and improves your flexibility and appearance. But as you age, the advantages of exercising go beyond the obvious. In fact, as you grow older, an active lifestyle becomes more important than ever.

Unfortunately, many seniors assume they are too weak or frail to exercise and fear they will injure themselves. Some have never exercised before and have no idea where to begin, and others associate exercise with doing something strenuous they’re incapable of. While these are all valid concerns, what these individuals don’t realize is that not exercising could pose the biggest risk of all. 

Exercise is the key to healthy aging

As they age, seniors who don’t exercise may begin to find that activities they’ve always looked forward to become a little bit harder. Playing with grandchildren, gardening, and shopping are suddenly challenging rather than enjoyable. This becomes frustrating and discourages many aging adults from engaging in physical activity at all. Regardless of your age or current physical condition, regular exercise can actually help alleviate the symptoms of illnesses or pain that prevent you from doing the things you love. 

Aside from managing pain and illnesses that often come with aging, exercise can also boost your energy, improve your balance, help you maintain independence and prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And, reaping these benefits doesn’t have to involve vigorous workouts at the gym. Anything that gets your body moving counts as exercise. Whether you prefer taking a brisk walk, joining a water aerobics class, riding a bike, or playing a game of tennis, you’ll begin to feel the healing effects of exercise right away.

How recovery changes with age

If you haven’t been active in a while, it’s important not to go “all out” right away. Instead, build up your exercise program little by little and give yourself enough time to recover in between activities. As you age, more rest is required to prevent injury or illness. You can also avoid discomfort by warming up, cooling down, and keeping water handy during and after your workout.

At Bella Vista Health Center, we understand the importance of staying active as you age. However, we also recognize that starting a new exercise routine and sticking to it can be challenging the older you get. This is especially true if you are suffering from arthritis pain or recovering from a surgery or illness. 

That’s why we provide patients in our care with the medical attention they need as well as access to a variety of exercise opportunities in a supportive, nurturing environment. From yoga classes to physical therapy, we do everything we can to maintain a high quality of life for all our residents. Give us a call and schedule a visit to see first hand how our five-star facility can empower you to be your personal best.