How Exercise Keeps the Body and Mind Young: A Nurse’s Guide to Active Ageing

By Stephanie Nwakaegho, Gentechnews Health Columnist

 

When I look into the eyes of my older patients, I often see two powerful truths wrestling with one another: wisdom and weariness. The wisdom is earned, a sharp, deep clarity from the many seasons of life you’ve navigated. But the weariness? That comes from the slowing steps, the chronic aches, and that silent, nagging fear that perhaps your body has already peaked and the best days of strength are behind you. Well, let me interrupt that thought right now. Your body is not a worn out machine; it is a loyal servant, and it hasn’t stopped listening to you. It is simply waiting for your next command. It waits for the signal to be strong again.

We need to commit to moving a little more each day. Not only will it cheer you on and make you feel lighter, you’ll end up smiling when you realize you no longer need to hold on to the handrail or to catch your breath at each step because those small steps that look unserious have amounted to monumental victories. Every gentle movement would not stop time but would bring about active aging, and allow us to live vibrantly for a Long time.

Why You Always Feel Tired

When you’re feeling tired, the last thing you want to hear is some complex talk about what’s going on inside your body. But let’s examine the cause of tiredness.

Early in the morning you may feel that low grade fatigue, Sometimes a certain lack of strength to face the day? It often comes down to the tiny power switches in your cells and muscles. Think of these like miniature generators.  Over time, if we don’t use your generator, it gets rusty, slows down, and eventually quits producing steady power.

This is exactly what happens when you stay dormant for too long.

When you walk, when you stretch, when you lift even a small bottle of water, you are sending a direct message to those in your body: “Wake up! We need power now!” And it listens. You literally help your body build new, vibrant, strong muscles and  cells. This would help you feel “lighter,”  have enough energy to tackle your chores, do your job and go to the market. Automatically you’ve upgraded your entire body’s electrical system in the most natural way to get your energy back.

This power surge is also your secret weapon against some of the most common health troubles we face. Think about sugar sickness, or diabetes. It’s a huge concern, right? But here’s the magic: when your muscles are working, they become powerful magnets, pulling sugar directly out of your blood and using it for fuel. You immediately ease the pressure on your body. So, that little walk after your meal isn’t just movement; it’s a powerful, direct medicine that helps keep your sugar levels balanced and steady. that quiet, chronic ache you feel in your body? That’s often internal swelling, like a constant smoldering low level fire that causes pain and makes heart problems worse. Guess what movement does? It releases natural compounds that act like a cool, gentle rain, settling the heat and allowing your body to calm down and repair itself. You are trading that internal stress for natural calm, simply by choosing to move.

Building Strength and Balance

Your strength is not a gift that runs out; it’s a tool that needs sharpening. The biggest fear I hear from patients isn’t about death, It is the fear of losing the ability to live their life without constant help and becoming liabilities.

The enemy here isn’t time; it’s muscle loss. Your muscles don’t just disappear because you get older. They weaken because we stop asking them to do hard work!

The solution is simple: Strength Training. Don’t think about professional bodybuilders! Think of useful strength. Can you get up from the chair easily? Can you open a tight jar? Can you carry your bag? Can you climb the stairs without gasping for breath? Can you walk a few miles without you knees giving out? That is the strength we are protecting.

We build this by challenging the muscles, even slightly. The best example? Chair Squats. Sit down and stand up, slowly and deliberately, ten times. Do three sets. That simple action engages your most important muscles, your thigh and buttock muscles, which are the main engines for walking and stopping a fall. Use light weight, maybe a bottle of water or a small bag of rice, for your arms. When you challenge your muscles this way, they repair themselves and become stronger. You are actively fighting weakness and buying yourself years of capability.

This strength building is also how you protect your bones. You might be taking your vitamins, which is good, but bones are living structures; they need pressure to stay dense. When you walk, when you do a gentle squat, or when you hold a light weight, that stress is the only message your bones truly understand: “Stay strong. We need you.” You are forcing your body to keep the bone minerals where they belong. This is the ultimate defense against fragile bones and breaking a hip.

And now for Balance, your life insurance policy against falls. Balance is a learned skill, your body’s ability to sense where it is and what it’s doing, even when you aren’t looking. We lose it because we stand too still. So, let’s challenge it! Practice standing near a sturdy kitchen counter, lift one foot, and hold it for just 10 seconds. You’ll wobble! That wobble is your body learning how to stay stable. If you want a more graceful approach, look into slow, deliberate movements, like gentle dancing or Tai Chi. They train your body to shift weight safely, making you less likely to stumble on an uneven road or a step.

The Importance of Exercise for the Heart

The Heart works non stop, and it deserves the best maintenance. When I listen to a patient who moves regularly, I hear an efficiency, a steady rhythm that tells me the heart is happy. There is always a clear difference between an active person’s heart rate and heart beat and that of an inactive person.

Active movement is anything that gets your heart pumping a little faster. Not running until you collapse, but enough that you can still talk easily. This could be a brisk walk, dancing, or even just doing chores actively. When you do this, your heart muscle gets stronger and more flexible. It learns to push more blood out with every single pump. This means it doesn’t have to beat as many times overall to do the same amount of work. This leads to a lower, healthier resting pulse and less wear and tear on your heart over time.

This strength is key to managing high blood pressure. When you move, your blood vessels get a signal to relax and widen. Think of it as opening up a blocked pipe. The pressure immediately drops, and your blood flows much easier. You are literally smoothing out the highway for your blood, preventing the stiffness and congestion that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. This is a powerful, totally natural way to lower your pressure. It helps prevent swelling in your hands and feet and helps your body fight off sickness better. When you move, you help push out all the body’s waste products, keeping your system clean and ready. It’s a full system maintenance check, every time you take a purposeful walk.

I often remind people that your circulatory system is like a busy marketplace. You need new goods (oxygen and nutrients) constantly coming in, and the old waste needs to be carried out swiftly. Your heart is the main transport, but your muscles are the support staff. When you are still, circulation can slow, and that’s when swelling and sluggishness creep in. But when you move, every muscle contraction acts like a small secondary pump, helping push the blood back toward the heart. This is particularly important for your legs, where it helps beat that stubborn swelling that settles around the ankles at the end of the day.

The Cognitive Lift

This is the area that truly excites me because our brain is where our wisdom, our memory, and our personality live. The idea that brain cells just die off and never return has been proven completely wrong. Your brain is living, changing, and movement is its primary source of fuel.

When you walk, you don’t just move your legs; you flood your brain with oxygen and nutrients. More incredibly, you trigger the release of a growth factor, a kind of natural energy booster, that helps your brain repair itself. This booster helps grow new connections and strengthen the ones you already have, especially in the area that handles memory and learning.

This means that your morning walk is a preventive strike against forgetfulness. It boosts your ability to think clearly, plan, and focus. You can see this clearly in activities that require focus, like a gentle dance or throwing a ball to a friend. They force your brain and body to work together, keeping those critical pathways clear and quick.

Sometimes when we get moody, worried, Stressed, instead of remaining in that depressive state it’s healthier to move.

Movement is a natural tool for happiness. When you step outside for a brisk walk, you release those wonderful feel good chemicals that lift your spirits and melt away anxiety. You regulate the hormones that cause stress. It gives you a crucial sense of victory, that feeling when you finish your walk and know, “I did that.” That quiet pride is a powerful medicine against feeling down or helpless.

I urge you to challenge your mind when you move. Don’t just stare straight ahead. Try walking different paths, counting backward, or learning a simple dance step. You are forcing your brain and body to communicate quickly, and that complexity is truly what keeps your mind flexible and sharp.

Barriers To Movement

Most often, what stops people is not the lack of knowledge; it could be some real world obstacles. Let’s tackle the three big ones that always come up often.

1. The Barrier of Pain and Aches

For millions of older adults, joint pain is due to arthritis. You might think the solution is rest, but often, rest makes it worse. When a joint, like your knee, is still in one position, the fluid that nourishes and lubricates the cartilage doesn’t circulate. It gets thick and sluggish. Simple strategy movement is what gently pumps that fluid, like oil in an engine.

The Strategy for Pain:

* Switch to Water: If you have access to a pool, walking in the water is a miracle. It gives you resistance for strength, but the water takes the weight off your joints.

* Seated Movement: Never underestimate seated exercises. You can pedal your feet in the air, do leg lifts, and arm circles, all while sitting comfortably. This keeps the blood flowing and the muscles toned without any joint impact.

* The Heat/Cold Rule: Use a warm compress or a heat pad before you move to loosen stiff joints, and use a cool compress after movement if the joint is tender or swollen.

2. The Barrier of Time and Commitment

You might say, “Nurse, I don’t have a spare hour.” My answer is simple: you don’t need it. The idea that exercise must be a long, continuous struggle is outdated.

The Strategy for Time:

* The 10 Minute Power Boost: Aim for three separate 10 minute bursts of brisk movement spread throughout your day. That’s 30 minutes achieved! Walk to greet a neighbor, walk while talking on the phone, or walk to the market and take the long way home.

* Activity Snacks: These are tiny moments of movement that require zero extra time. While your jollof rice is cooking, march in place for two minutes. While watching TV, stand up and sit down five times during the commercial break. These small movements break up sitting, which is a major health risk. Every two minutes of active movement counts toward your total health.

3. The Barrier of Consistency and Motivation

Motivation is like sunshine, it comes and goes. You can’t rely on it. You need a plan and accountability.

The Strategy for Motivation:

* The Habit Stacking Trick: Attach your new movement to an old, established habit. For example: “After I drink my morning tea, I will walk for 10 minutes,” or “After I finish watching the news, I will do my chair squats.” The old habit acts as a cue for the new one.

* Social Power: Find a walking buddy. If Mama Ife is waiting for you at the corner at 6 AM, you are far less likely to stay in bed. The commitment to a friend is often stronger than the commitment we make to ourselves.

* Track Your Wins: Keep a small notebook and just mark an “X” for every day you manage 10 minutes of movement. Don’t write down calories or steps, just track the consistency. Seeing those Xs stack up is a powerful, visual reminder that you are winning.

Four Types of Movement Your Body Needs to Thrive

Let me finalize this guide by giving you very simple, practical examples for the four types of movement your body needs to thrive. Think of these as the four legs of a sturdy stool, you need all four for stability.

* Moving Your Heart (Aerobic): This builds stamina.

* The Goal: Get your breath up gently.

* The How: Brisk walking, dancing to Highlife music, or using a stationary bike.

* The Rule: Do this for 10 to 30 minutes on most days of the week.

* Building Muscle (Strength): This maintains independence.

* The Goal: Feel muscle fatigue after 8 to 12 repetitions.

* The How: The Chair Squat (sitting and standing without hands), wall push ups, or simply carrying your own shopping bags for short distances.

* The Rule: Do this 2 to 3 times per week, allowing a day of rest in between.

* Staying Flexible (Stretching): This prevents stiffness.

* The Goal: Gentle tension, nerve pain.

* The How: Stretching your arms up high like you are reaching for a shelf, circling your shoulders slowly, or touching your toes (while seated if needed).

* The Rule: Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and always stretch when your muscles are warm, like after a walk.

* Keeping Steady (Balance): This prevents falls.

* The Goal: Train your body to react quickly.

* The How: Standing on one foot while brushing your teeth, or walking heel to toe across a room (holding a wall for safety).

* The Rule: Practice this briefly every single day, knowing the wobble means you are learning.

NURSES INSIGHT

One of the most precious resources we have is the quality of our remaining years. It’s up to us to Live it right.

Movement is your non-negotiable choice for a healthy lifestyle, for independence, and for life lived on your own terms.

By choosing to move today, you are choosing a future filled with strength, clarity, and the ability to continue embracing life, wherever that may take you. Now, let’s get moving!

 

Stephanie Nwakaegho, Gentechnews Health Columnist can be reached via thestephanienwakaegho@gmail.com