Are you a senior or have a senior family member who would like to be more active and participate in more physical exercise? Exercise is a critical component of healthy living. But as we advance in age, exercise plays an even more significant role in our health. It’s been proven to stimulate metabolic activity, fight off painful inflammation, and greatly reduce the risk of depression. Regular activity may also allow seniors to improve their range of motion and reduce their risk of suffering a fall. To get you started, here are a few ideas you may enjoy.
Bicycling
With cycling, you benefit from exercise similar to running or jogging without the high impact on your knees and legs. Biking is good for your lungs and heart and has been shown to reduce the rate at which people experience the muscle loss associated with age. Not only does biking improve your physical health, it also strengthens your brain. Just 30 minutes of cycling on a regular basis has been shown to have significant cognitive benefits, especially for memory and learning. If a typical bike is too difficult to ride, companies have designed special custom bicycles made for seniors, accommodating riding postures that won’t cause unnecessary pain. Whether inside on a stationary bike or outside in nature, biking is a great activity.
Pickleball
If you haven’t heard of pickleball, it’s a mix of badminton, ping pong and tennis in play style and design. Played as singles or doubles, this sport is light, has a low risk of injury, provides good aerobic exercise and is just plain fun! Studies show that seniors who play pickleball three times a week have better blood pressure and enhanced cardio fitness. Pickleball is also a social sport, leaving room for conversation and a chance for better mental health. If you are interested, this link will help you find locations to play.
Chair Exercises
As we grow older, physical challenges can often make it difficult to find an exercise activity that’s accessible enough to be routine yet challenging enough to constitute exercise. Luckily, there are a number of effective seated exercises for the elderly, and most of them are easy enough to learn within only a few minutes. They are safe, strengthen the core, decrease the risk of falls, improve your heart health, prevent strokes, and much more. A wide variety of chair exercises that work every part of your body are available online. You can also check to see if there are classes in your area that meet in person.
Before doing any physical activity, it is always smart to consult a doctor beforehand. But it’s important to get started. Regular exercise is as powerful as anything a doctor can prescribe. You’ll see improvements immediately. If you or a loved one need assistance when it comes to exercising, senior home care services will be there to help. Griswold Home Care of Greater Orlando refers caregivers for a variety of services to assist the elderly with their daily routines and non-medical needs. The owners, Herm and Mary Carter Eick, believe strongly that everyone in need deserves quality care in their own homes whenever possible as well as the utmost dignity and respect in the delivery of that care. Contact them at 407-638-8116 for more information and check out their exercise articles for more ideas.
