Getting older can be frustrating. Your body has more trouble moving around, your energy can deplete faster, and there are several age-related health risks to be wary of.
One of the best ways for people over 60 to stay fit and be more mobile is to regularly exercise, which begs the question: What kind of exercise is the best for seniors? Well, according to a Harvard Medical School study, the most beneficial exercise is not walking, jogging, or weight training, although all are viable options. If you’re approaching 60 and want a quality exercise routine, you might want to start taking a martial arts class.
While the aggressive aspect of martial arts may make it appear that it is built for younger bodies, the majority of martial arts training can provide quality exercise for older folks. Harvard University professors believe “soft” martial arts such as tai chi, wing chun, and aikido help seniors improve their flexibility, muscle tone, balance, and coordination through slower movements. The added benefit? This exercise is also easier on the joints and can help exercise the mind through concentration and routine.
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That’s not to say that other “hard” martial arts, such as karate, taekwondo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, aren’t in the conversation. A Southern Cross University study believes they can provide the same benefits as “soft” martial arts while also providing cardiovascular exercise and rigorous resistance training through squats, strikes, and stances. Certain martial arts can also train a person to know how to fall in a safer way should they trip, lose balance, or slip in the shower.
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Medical professionals also believe that martial arts can help improve the mass and strength of both muscles and bones, which steadily decline the older we get. By practicing martial arts routines, training exercises, and katas, seniors can fight off muscle weakness and lower bone density, along with fighting off an opponent.
@jiu.jitsu.lifestyle 🇧🇷 INSPIRAÇÃO! A atleta @jiujitsu_grandma competindo aos 74 anos 🔥🔥 - 🇺🇸 INSPIRATION! The athlete @jiujitsu_grandma Competing at age 74 🔥🔥 🥋 Estude Jiu-Jitsu com a @bjjprotech CUPOM: LS10 (LINK AQUI NA BIO) 👕 Procura roupas e acessórios de Jiu-Jitsu ? Acesse o link da BIO e confira nossos produtos #jiu_jitsu_lifestyle #jiujitsu #bjj #artesuave #grappling #brazilianjiujitsu #artemarcial #motivacional #noexcuses #jiujitsufeminino #bjjgirls #jiujitsugirls #jiujitsuparamulheres #jiujitsufeminino #ibjjf #cbjjf #purplebelt #faixaroxa Vídeo: 📽️ @jiujitsu_grandma
“When you hold strong stances, perform controlled kicks, or use strikes, your muscles pull on the bones,” said Dr. Maria Knöbel, medical director of Medical Cert UK. “This pulling action stimulates bone cells called osteoblasts, which are responsible for building new bone tissue. The continuous strain of these movements will signal the body that the bones must remain strong.”
“At the same time, martial arts strengthen the muscles,” she continued. “Movements such as squats, steps, kicks and balance drills use both the large muscles like those in the legs and core, and the smaller stabilizing muscles that protect the joints. Using all of these muscles together keeps the fibers active and slows the natural loss of strength that happens with age.”
@origins.unity Martial arts are for everyone! Any stage of life, any fitness level, any person and any reason. I train 18 years olds and I train 90 year olds. We need to look to this wonderful example of a late-life-stage champion - he is getting the most of life through living the martial arts path. #martialarts #boxing #muaythaitraining #martialartist #wellness #example #leadership #longevity #longlife #wellbeing #noexcuses #fitnessmotivation #fitnessjourney #wellnesswarrior #wellnessjourney #happiness
Seniors not only benefit from martial arts physically, but mentally as well. It allows seniors to build a sense of community and form friendships with other classmates in the dojo, improving their social lives. While the training helps build the body, it also builds a sense of self-confidence and empowerment. Getting your brain to remember training, combat strategies, and routines also keeps the mind as sharp as the body, too.
If a senior in your life is in need of quality exercise and a fresh hobby, it might be worth getting them to attend a class at the local dojo, with their doctor’s approval. In the long term, it could help improve their standard of living as they grow older.
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Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.