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Aging will inevitably happen to each and every one of us. Joints become achy, bones become brittle, and muscles become weak. Although the aging process is unstoppable that does not mean that it cannot be slowed down. The good news is there are many ways in which individuals can take some control of the aging process.

As the human body ages the main functions to be affected are balance, hand eye coordination/reflexes, bone density and muscular strength. All of these can be drastically impacted in a positive manner through simple strength training movements.

Balance

One third of adults 65 and older suffer some kind of fall each year, with outcomes ranging from broken bones to bruises or sprains. These statistics are telling in the importance of balance and how it can affect our lives. Basic flexibility movements as well as strength training movements can help prevent falls and increase balance and stability.

Exercises that can help:

• Try standing on one leg while brushing your teeth.
• Going up or down the stairs without using too much of your arms to assist you is also a good way to improve leg strength.
• Increasing your core strength is also pivotal in maintaining proper balance. A simple crunch or leg extension can drastically improve one's stability. 

Hand Eye Coordination and Reflexes

These areas also begin to decline as we age. Fortunately, any type of functional movement will have a positive impact on reflexive capabilities.

Exercises that can help:

• Medicine balls are perfect for anyone looking to improve their core strength while developing their hand-eye reflexes as well. Depending on ability level, choose a light weight ball that will somewhat bounce and start by slamming the ball in front of you. Once you are comfortable with this slam the ball side to side while bringing the ball over your head. This will allow you to build whole body coordination while targeting your reflexes and hand eye coordination.
• On a more basic level, try tossing a tennis ball a couple inches into the air and catch it with different hands each time. This exercise will help develop motor pathways which in turn increase visual tracking skills.
• On a more advanced level try balancing on a bosu ball while bouncing a tennis ball from hand to hand. It is tough, but a small amount of practice goes a long way with hand eye coordination. 

Muscular Strength and Bone Density

These go hand in hand. Bone density is vital in the fight against injuries from slipping or tripping. As the human body ages and movements become either more difficult or more painful, injuries tend to increase.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common conditions that many people deal with at different ages of life. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones to the point where they can break easily. Osteopenia is simply lower than normal bone density. While osteopenia is not as severe as osteoporosis people with osteopenia should try to strength train as much as possible.

 
Bone density decreases less than one percent per year after the age of 35. Staying active and moving the body is extremely helpful in preventing bone density loss as well as muscular atrophy.

Exercises that can help:

In order to build muscle and bone density the human body must be placed under load. That load does not need to be anything other than something different than what the body is already used to. Here are some options:

• As I have mentioned before, going up and down stairs is a great way to keep the muscles and bones in the legs strong and capable.
• Holding weights while walking is also a great way to increase core and hip strength which in turn helps with everyday tasks.
• Picking up and setting down different sizes of soup cans is a fantastic way to develop and increase one's grip strength. Grip strength is vastly overlooked in its importance. Having strong hands and forearms is vital in order to make everyday tasks easier and more doable.

Conclusion

You do not need an elaborate workout program as you get older to help prevent some of the effects of aging from taking place. Simply move your body by taking part in basic strengthening movements, practice balancing movements, and play a little catch. Good things will happen in no time!