Soft, gentle, fluid, mindful: Words we wouldn't normally associate with a high-energy workout for seniors. Advertising agencies and Hollywood have sold us on the idea that the intensity and personality of the instructor is a measure of the quality of a workout. Flashy sets, Hollywood glitter, punchy music, and celebrity endorsements have been the selling points for exercise programs. We have been trained to measure their worth on these things. As if the eye candy they sell will flatten your abs and tighten your butt.
Why is this? It has to do with our fast food culture. Fast paced lives have created a need for fast everything. Instant mash, instant results, easier, no thinking required, five minutes a day, five easy steps mentality pervades our society. We have become the McDonalds generation.
Fortunately, this trend is changing, at least when it comes to exercise. While Hollywood will still have it's way with the masses, there are many who are searching and finding a better way. Exercise programs, which are based upon quality of motion and mindfulness of the body, are seeing a huge resurgence. While most of them have been around for a very long time, there are also many new programs, which have adapted the principals of the old with the needs of today. They all have two things in common; they are gentle on the body and they are mindful, integrating the mind with the body.
Faster, harder, feel the burn, no pain no gain. Working your body in this way may not be the best way. There are hundreds of programs out there, which are completely based upon this mentality. These programs have no room for being overweight, having pre-existing injuries or general wear and tear of everyday life. No real attention to form, only a celebrity cheerleader pushing you ever harder. Not much mindfulness here, no real emphasis on preserving the body and motions, which are natural to it. Only a push it harder attitude. While this attitude is part of a great workout, it is not the total answer, only a small part.
To really enhance a workout, one must be mindful of what they are doing. This is a skill, which few possess. It is a strange thing and something that most people do not realize. People are just not aware of their bodies. This becomes evident as a lack of coordination or a propensity for injury. We are truly not aware of what each part of our body is doing until properly trained to do so. Without this skill, we cannot get the most from our bodies and from our workouts. Mindfulness will strengthen the muscles needed for balance and support.
Many ancient disciplines teach this skill. Martial arts, Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung are all ancient arts, which deal with this. Cardio Karaticise, Power Yoga, NIA, and Pilate's are programs, which have adapted principles from these ancient disciplines. Alexander Technique, FeldenKrais Method, Breema, and Somatics are fairly modern day programs which utilize the principle of mindfulness although the may call it different things.
Of these, lets look at those that focus on using ancient principles to develop a modern day workout. The martial arts based aerobics systems, Power Yoga, NIA, and Pilate's.
Martial arts aerobics systems have hit the mainstream. They've been practiced for a long time in Martial arts studios, but a major marketing campaign has brought a few of them into the public eye.
Martial arts in general are divided into two main categories, hard and soft. Since martial arts are divided into these categories, the aerobics programs based upon them will also be divided in this way. Both are fantastic workouts but you must be careful with hard style. Hard style martial arts aerobics such as Tae Bo and Kardio Kickbox, which are typically based upon Japanese and Okinawan systems, can be very high impact and can wear on the joints. Since a lot of stretching and preconditioning is necessary for these martial arts, the same should be done for their aerobic counterparts. These are not programs that should be done by the elderly. There is a high risk of injury associated with these even in those that are athletic.
Soft style martial arts aerobics are based on Kung Fu, Chinese martial arts. These arts tend to be more fluid and are therefore more gentle on the body. However, because they use the same muscle groups, they still produce an intense workout if done properly. These take a little longer to learn but are very worthwhile. Cardio Karaticise is a good example of a Kung fu based aerobic.
This is a great program for the elderly. Because of the soft nature of the exercise

Phil Weaver, the author, is the co-creator of the kung fu based aerobics video, Cardio Karaticise. He is also a full time Kung Fu instructor. He and His wife Liz Weaver operate a Kung Fu school in Burson Ca, which teaches authentic Mandarin Kung Fu called Shou' Shu',
They offer free lessons on how to properly do martial arts based aerobics program, while minimizing the risk of injury at their website http://www.karaticise.com/