No Pain. No Gain - is so not the rule in senior physical fitness!

First they tell you that you have to exercise at least 90 minutes a day, five days a week, and then they tell you that it has to hurt – what? This no pain, no gain mentality is somehow meant to inspire us to work our bodies so hard that we are sore and stiff the next day!

For seniors who already have pain that they are trying to heal, the prospect of purposefully adding more pain makes exercise seem like a bad joke and totally unreasonable.

The idea that we should feel pain after we exercise maybe good for military boot camps that want to build up soldiers, but as seniors, there should be a way to work around extreme exercise.

And there is! Here’s the first of our mini guides to safer, pain free senior fitness:

Part One - Ways Seniors Can Enjoy Daily Exercise…

Swimming

Swimming is another activity being recommended for no pain, with gain exercising. Being in the water relieves muscle tension, pain and swelling from arthritis, and lets the body perform resistance exercise with little tension on your joints.

It is still possible to overexert you or feel sore the next day, but the water makes the chances for a successful and painless workout much more possible.

Some hospitals have even built swimming pools or co-opted with gyms for pool use time because swimming is such a beneficial way for seniors and those in physical therapy to regain or grow strength.

Gym

There are a few ways to make sure that you are in the right environment to engage in a no pain with gain workout. Professional gyms that employ certified instructors are a great place to start and senior fitness classes are becoming very popular.

Silver Sneakers offer classes made specifically for seniors at various levels of fitness and ability. Many instructors will also offer modifications for exercises. If the modification information is not readily available, ask the instructor or fitness manager for it.

As long as your doctor has approved the activity or class, the instructor should be able to offer ways to keep pressure off the knees and wrists, or recommend alternate exercises for those of you using walkers or wheelchairs.

Wellness centers and weight rooms should have personal trainers on hand that can recommend the proper weight for circuit training and lifting weights. If a fitness instructor does not have this information, then consider taking a different class or going to another gym.

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