The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's important to stay fit in the long winter months but it's also a time to exercise caution. Death rates among older people can go up by as much as 60% in cold weather. If you're older and worried about harsh conditions outside, don't give up. Here are 10 exercises you can do at home. "Finding a few minutes for these exercises will help maintain cardiac health, strength and balance," says Liz Inness, physiotherapist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Canada's largest provider of adult rehabilitation services. Flexibility Circle your arms slowly to stretch the upper body. Sit down and extend your knee straight out. Then, pump your ankle up and down to stretch leg muscles. Strength Stand at the kitchen counter and do small knee bends. Do sit-to-stand exercises. Simply sit down then stand up. From a standing position, go up on your toes, then down again. March on the spot. Do side leg raises while standing at the kitchen counter. Balance Balance on one leg. (Do this near something you can grab onto if necessary.) Tap step. Move your right foot forward, to the side, to a position behind you, and back to the starting position. Do the same with the left foot. Endurance Keep walking! Apartment hallways and indoor shopping malls are excellent places for walking. "When exercising, elderly people should feel a moderate sense of effort, but nothing more," adds Inness. "Start with a few repetitions of each exercise, and build up gradually." Anyone with health problems should check with a health professional before starting a fitness program.
