Top Exercise Programs for Older Adults in Madison

Madison offers a surprising variety of exercise programs designed specifically for seniors. Whether you’re looking to improve mobility or get back into shape, Wisconsin native Janet Meydam has the inside scoop on how - and where - to get started.

You’ve heard many people say “exercise is good for you”. What does that really mean? Well, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), exercise has both immediate and long term benefits for people age 65 and older, as follows:

Immediate benefits of exercise:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves quality of sleep

Long term benefits of exercise:

• Lowers the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease or stroke
• Reduces the risk of type II diabetes
• Decreases the chance of developing several types of cancer
• Lessens the chance of falling
• Reduces the risk of developing depression
• Cuts the chance of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease
• Lowers weight, as well as the chance of regaining weight
• Improves the strength of bones
• Increases the ability to live independently
• May also improve immune system function (Link)

Considering all the benefits of exercise, isn’t it time to start working out? Do not take starting an exercise program lightly, though, especially if you are not used to exercising.

You may be tempted to jump right into that aerobics class, just like you did when you were 25. Not so fast! While the above benefits show how good exercise is for seniors, it also puts older adults at increased risk for injury. Muscle recovery time is longer for seniors, and conditions like chronic inflammation or thinning bone mass can lead to more serious injuries if you are not careful. Here are some precautions you can take as you start a new exercise program:

• Consult your doctor to make sure there are no reasons why you can’t exercise. Your doctor can also tell you if there are specific precautions you should take based on your health conditions.
• Be sure to stretch your muscles after you exercise. It is also a good idea to do some warm up exercises before you start a higher intensity workout. If you are following a class instructor, they will typically include this in the workout period.
• Start out slow. It’s okay if you don’t jump as high or breathe as hard as the person next to you. Go at a pace you can handle until your body has grown accustomed to exercise.
• Don’t exercise every day until you are conditioned to it. Muscle recovery takes longer for older adults, and pushing too hard can cause damage to muscles and joints. (Link)

Following these principles as you begin to exercise should help your body to stay healthy and make your workouts more enjoyable. A little pain is okay, but the saying “no pain, no gain” just doesn’t apply here.

If you prefer to workout by yourself at home in front of a Youtube video, that’s fine, but you are missing out on all the wonderful opportunities in Madison to get fit and make friends at the same time. Madison offers many, many exercise programs for seniors. To make them easy to find, we have grouped them by organization:

Madison Area YMCA - the programs listed here are included with a YMCA membership (Link).

• Senior Fitness - a general exercise program for all fitness levels, focusing on strength, range of motion, and activity level.
• Gentle Yoga - a yoga class designed to improve flexibility, strength, endurance, posture, balance, and bone health.
• Strength and Stability - a class that addresses the physical activity needs of older adults, including strength training, aerobic exercise, flexibility, and balance.
• Fit and Fun - a combination class that incorporates music and easy choreographed moves.
• Chair Yoga - an alternative yoga class that adapts yoga moves to a seated position on a chair.
• Zumba Gold - a modified zumba class performed at a lower intensity than traditional zumba.
   

Madison Senior Center - fees vary per program. Please check the website for a full description of each program and the fees required (Link).

• Gentle Yoga - yoga with modified moves in both seated and standing positions, designed to focus on balance, range of motion, and flexibility.
• Ballroom Basics for Balance - a fun dance class that focuses on maintaining balance on a variety of surfaces, as well as improving activity level.
• HASfit Gentle Exercise - a group that exercises together by watching the HASfit exercise program on Youtube.
• Laughing Bodies, Dancing Minds - a movement class that focuses on stretching, strengthening, core strength, breathing, and energy flow.

Goodman Community Center - many exercise programs are free. Fees that are required are mentioned in the program descriptions on the website. (Link)

• Tai Chi - an easy movement class that involves all parts of the body. Instruction in how to complete the moves is provided and chairs are used for stability.
• Easy Yoga Plus - yoga that focuses on increasing energy level, improving circulation, and decreasing joint stiffness. 
• Dance Fitness - a low intensity aerobic workout that uses Latin dance rhythms.
• Virtual Gentle Exercise - an easy range of motion program for people with joint pain and stiffness, offered online.

Madison School and Community Recreation - MSCR offers the Goodman Rotary 50+ Fitness Programs at 6 sites throughout the city. (Link) Some of the classes offered include:

• Aquatic fitness and warm water exercise
• Cardio dance classes
• Cross training
• Chair based exercise classes
• Stretching and strengthening
• Stretch, resistance and cardio
• Tai Chi
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Walking
• Snowshoeing

Contact MSCR for more information on all the fitness programs offered for older adults.

This is just a partial listing of exercise programs available for seniors in the Madison area. With all the options available, you should have an easy time finding the right fitness program to help you stay active and in shape.