The weather is getting colder and colder, the lowest temperature has fallen below 0 degrees Celsius, many elderly people still insist on outdoor exercise. “Exercise has many benefits, such as improving cold resistance, preventing chronic diseases and increasing social interaction.” Doctors warn that with the increase of age, the functions of the elderly in all aspects of the body decline, and there are many things to pay attention to in winter exercise.
[Popular Science Expert]
Zhang Xiaoqiang
, deputy chief physician of Rehabilitation Medicine Department of Beijing Geriatric Hospital, should not go out to exercise early
. Many elderly people sleep less, get up early and like morning exercises. However, in winter, when the temperature is low in the morning, the elasticity and extensibility of human muscles become worse, the viscosity increases, and the lubrication of tendons and joints is poor, especially in the wrist, hand and ankle where clothes are thin or exposed. This situation will lead to body stiffness, slow muscle contraction, movement deformation, difficult to maintain the coordination, balance, accuracy, difficult to exert muscle strength, prone to injury or even fall. In
cold environment, the elderly’s ability to regulate body temperature decreases. If they are in low temperature environment for a long time, they may also suffer from hypothermia, that is, hypothermia, general discomfort, blood pressure drop, bradycardia, premature beats, oliguria, and coma in severe cases. Low temperature can also lead to obvious vasoconstriction and induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Exercise 1-2 hours after the sun rises
in the morning, or before the sun sets in the afternoon.
Sports items should be suitable for
the elderly to understand their own health status, the functional level of various organs, combined with their own sports ability, sports habits to choose the most suitable sports items.
The elderly can choose endurance sports in winter, such as fast walking or jogging, square dancing, bicycle, etc.; or gymnastics, such as radio gymnastics, medical gymnastics; tennis, gate ball, golf, etc.; Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Wuqinxi and other sports are also suitable for the elderly. These exercises can promote the smooth flow of Qi and blood, improve the cardiopulmonary function and exercise ability of the elderly, improve immunity, and contribute to physical and mental health.
The elderly should try to avoid strenuous exercise, such as short-distance sprint, strength training beyond the body’s load capacity, dance or gymnastics with too difficult movements, and mountain climbing and stair climbing are not recommended for the elderly with hip and knee osteoarthropathy; Repeated bending during sit-ups can put a lot of pressure on the spine, which may damage the intervertebral disc, lead to disc herniation, cause low back and leg pain, and is not suitable for the elderly.
To grasp the intensity and frequency
of winter sports for the elderly, we should adhere to the principle of gradual progress. In the early stage of exercise, the intensity and amount of exercise should be small, and then gradually reach the appropriate intensity and amount of exercise after exercise adaptation. If after a period of exercise, the body feels hot and sweaty during exercise, and feels relaxed and comfortable after exercise, the appetite and sleep are better, indicating that the intensity and amount of exercise are appropriate. Pulse can be monitored during exercise, and the appropriate intensity of exercise for the elderly can be measured by the formula of “pulse number = 170-age”. For example, in the elderly of 60 years old, the pulse immediately reaches 110 times per minute during exercise, and it is more appropriate for the pulse to return to the quiet level within 5-10 minutes after exercise.
Exercise time is 30-60 minutes each time, including warm-up exercise and stretching time after exercise. Exercise should not be less than 2-3 times a week. According to their own situation, do what they can, the most important thing is to exercise regularly, insist on exercise to ensure good results.
To prevent cold, warm and injury
, we should pay attention to both ourselves and the environment. On their own side, the elderly should wear warm and breathable clothes, prepare hats and gloves, wear skid-proof and well-fitting sports shoes, and avoid wearing thick, heavy and elastic clothes. Warm up before exercise, stretch after exercise, relax stiff and cramp-prone muscles, relieve muscle fatigue, improve muscle soreness, help to maintain muscle elasticity and extensibility for a long time, and reduce sports injuries. In terms of
environment, choose suitable sports venues, avoid sports on wet and slippery ground and in poor lighting environment, and avoid sports in places with disorder and many obstacles. In winter, when the weather is particularly cold, bad or sharp cooling, when there is ice and snow on the road, we should avoid going out to exercise. In addition, elderly people with hypertension, coronary heart disease, bronchitis, lung disease and other underlying disease should avoid going out for exercise and seek medical treatment in time if they feel that their condition has changed.
