What comes to mind when you hear the words "elderly and aging"? Do you picture a frail shadow of a person? Someone who is sitting in a nursing home? Someone who has arthritis and walks with a cane?
If so, how about a dose of reality? With a baby boomer turning 50 every few minutes and quickly approaching the over-60 crowd, this group is about to become the most influential of all age groups. Frailty and immobility do not describe most older Canadians. The vast majority live independent physically active lives.
Gym owners, health club managers, fitness equipment retailers, and personal trainers, listen up: If your not prepared for this group you will be missing out on a golden opportunity. If you are someone older individuals turn to for fitness advice, be careful not to make assumptions about their physical needs and goals. Some may want to improve their strength so they can walk a mile: others may want to run a marathon. This group is more diverse than any other.
Disappointingly little research has examined the unique needs of the healthy older population when it comes to physical activity and nutrition. In fact there is probably more we do not know than we do know about this group. Even what we are discovering has not been widely publicized. Here is some information to help dispell a few myths about nutrition and physical activity in older people:
One myth is that nutritionally speaking, decreasing fat is the best diet change and older person can make. The facts indicate for healthy persons over 65, making changes in the amount of fat they eat probably is not the most important nutritional consideration. More critical are issues like getting enough food without cutting out one or more food groups. Many older people's diets tend to run low on calcium, B12, and zinc. One reason may be that the richest sources of these nutrients are meat and dairy foods -- the same foods they have heard are high in fat. In an effort to cut out fat, they have created a low nutient diet.
A second myth is that it is dangerous for an 80-year-old who has never exercised to start an exercise program, while the fact is it is never too late! After a medical screening and proper precautions, an appropriate exercise program is an essential part of maintaining independent living. A recent study of nursing home residents, ages 74 to 98, showed that even a frail population can experience tremendous improvements from strength training.
Focusing on aerobic fitness is more important than improving strength or flexibility is another myth to be debunked. Strength and flexibility are just as important as aerobic fitness. In fact they may be more important because strength and flexibility are required for basic everyday activities such as getting out of a car or chair, dressing, housework, carrying groceries, and so forth. For many older individuals, strength and flexibility should be the basis of an exercise program.
The subject of eggs and that they should be limited to 2 or 3 a week is a fourth myth, as if you are a healthy older person, eggs offer an easy to prepare and inexpensive source of high quality protein, as well as vitamin A and folacin. Restricting eggs may cause these individuals to miss out on an important part of their diet. What about all that cholesterol? Eggs have received a bum rap, research shows that eggs are not the bad guys we once thought when it comes to causing high blood cholesterol. For healthy older individuals who have always included eggs as a mainstay of their diet, there is usually no benefit -- but possible harm -- in restricting eggs.
The fifth myth is that you should weigh the same at 70 as you did at 30. In fact although thinness is highly valued in our society, weighing less is not necessarily a guarantee of living longer. In fact studies show that the heaviest and the lightest groups of people tend to die earlier than those of average weight. The health risk or benefit posed by body weight also depends on how body fat is distributed. Some research suggests that the apple shape is more of a problem than a pear shape. This is an area where more research is needed.
We often hear that children are not little adults, meaning they have unique needs. The same can be said for older people: they are not carbon copies of younger adults. In fact the over-60 group is the most heterogeneous population in our society. There is much we do not know about this population, but this much is sure: older adults will be demanding nutrition and activity related information specific to their needs. Staying abreast of research and information will help fitness and recreation professionals meet the unique needs of this rapidly emerging population.
Kristen J. Reimers is Programs Coordinator at the International Centre for Sports Nutrition, and also serves as a nutrition consultant.