A.C.T. By Deese - Prince Deese - HeadshotPrince Deese

Prince Deese, an All American Wrestler, a Hall of Fame Football Player, and a State Champion Body Builder, is a certified personal trainer and strength conditioning specialist. Prince Deese and Gina Deese own A.C.T. by Deese, a Fitness & Training Center in Greensboro, NC.

A recent article by Jennifer Goodman in the publication, Health Day, News for Healthy Living, indicates that older adults use more of the frontal lobes of the brain, a factor which is significant in abstract reasoning, problem solving, forming ideas, and performing multiple tasks. This, therefore, supports the adage that “wisdom comes with age”.

And it’s this wisdom which can help seniors to understand and address the activities which are necessary in order to fight the aging symptoms of increased weakness, loss of motivation, and the ever-shrinking range of movement.

A.C.T. By Deese - Kate TallmadgeKate Tallmadge

It is this wisdom that keeps Kate Tallmadge, age 100, continuing to attend exercise class two days a week at First Presbyterian Church. Kate writes poetry, travels every summer to Connecticut, and spends time with her seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She quilts, crafts and is heavily involved in community service.

“I have a wonderful exercise class, and I love the people I see every week,” she says. “I have had a knee replacement, but my class keeps me more flexible, and I work on my balance.”

The Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) tells us that “characteristics associated with aging can be traced to mechanical, physiological, and biochemical functions as well as environmental factors”.

One IFAR study reports that seniors of any age can build muscle strength through weight training, while other reliable sources discuss even broader exercise benefits such as motivating interest in movement, providing emotional support, and creating greater flexibility.

Exercise regimes are credited with supporting social integration that so frequently is weakened by the aging process. They also strengthen individual self-expression and with deter the loss of independence. Regular exercise is an integral part of all senior programs.

A simple senior regime can begin with wall push-ups, chair squats, bicep curls, and shoulder shrugs, activities that should begin slowly and gradually increase to 30 minutes a day. Loose clothing and good solid support shoes are essential for the sake of safety.