Popular sports for seniors

Popular sports for seniors

Age doesn’t have to stop people from enjoying their favorite sports, and health experts say that remaining active can improve physical and mental health.

Dee White, clinical director of the Arkansas Heart Hospital’s Vein & Vascular Institute, said sports provide seniors with a multitude of benefits.

“These activities encourage physical activity that contributes to overall health, has cardiovascular benefits, fights obesity and promotes a healthy body weight,” she said. “Increasing muscle mass helps prevents bone loss. Sports also provide a healthy outlet for stress relief. They provide an environment for socialization for our seniors.”

If a doctor has confirmed that it is OK to participate in sports, these activities can help men and women 50 and older enjoy friendly competition and physical activity.

Fishing

Fishing is more than just a leisurely day at the lake. Casting and reeling in your catch provides a good workout for the arms, legs and core muscles of the body. Rowing out to your lucky spot provides additional cardiovascular exercise.

Golf

Golf is enjoyed by people of all ages. Requiring a combination of strategy and skill, golf also pays several physical dividends. Play at your own pace, taking your time walking from hole to hole so you can enjoy the sunshine and soak in the beauty of the course. Golf can also provide seniors with an opportunity to play as a team. For example, four seniors can get together to compete against other teams in a four-man scramble charity tournament or just for

practice. White said team sports provide seniors with additional benefits.

“There are many benefits in taking part of team sports. Not only does it get your body moving, blood pumping and your mind sharp, but it also allows time for fellowship and companionship,” she said. “It acts as a stress-reliever and encourages social interaction.”

Walking/Jogging

White said that walking or jogging every day is one of the better activities anyone can do.

“Walking is a great activity for seniors to do, no matter the age or fitness level. I recommend ‘progressive exercise,’ which means walking a little bit farther and longer every day,” she said. “It is a great way to get blood moving and to build up stamina for seniors. Weight-bearing exercise helps to strengthen the bony structures and ward off fractures.”

She added that for those who enjoy walking and friendly competition, power walking or race walking are options, as well as the opportunity for seniors to enter a 5K as walkers.

Cycling

Many seniors are avid cyclists. You can ride a bicycle in competition or for pleasure. You can even vary your route depending on how physically intense you want the ride to be.

Swimming

A few laps around a pool works a person’s whole body. Swimming is attractive to seniors because it works the muscles and provides a cardiovascular jolt without putting any strain on the joints. White said that swimming provides an excellent opportunity for exercise.

“Many times, I have patients start out just walking back and forth in the shallow end of the pool,” she said. “This is great if one has arthritic joints, because the water removes all impact from the exercise.”

Seniors need not abandon their love of sport just because Father Time is catching up with them.