Fitness is not a new word for this generation. But there is a myth that fitness only comes with young people and makes an imaginary shape. Well, if you are a person who believes this myth, then this article is going to break your old thoughts. Let’s start by making an oath in our mind that fitness or exercise doesn’t only bring a slim body. Exercise is a way of expressing your love for your body. If you love your body, no matter if you are young or old, you will keep exercising to give yourself a relaxing day and body full of spirit. “Health is wealth” this proverb goes not only for younger people but also for seniors. Seniors are the people who don’t have to put themselves outside of their comfort zone and do heavy workouts or exercise. There are thousands and tons of articles for younger people who want to do exercise, but very few for the seniors, and specifically, there is no article based on exercise tips for seniors. So here we are.
What type of exercise is suitable for seniors?
Water aerobics
In recent years, water aerobics has been one of the popular forms of exercise among all ages, but it seems like seniors loved it the most. Exercising in the water is very suitable for those living with arthritis and other forms of joint pain, as the buoyancy of the water puts less stress on personal joints. Moreover, water brings natural resistance, eliminating the need for weights in strength training. Water aerobics exercises can improve strength, flexibility, and balance with minimal stress on the body, especially for older people. Some exercise tips for seniors are required before doing this workout.
Water aerobics exercise includes
- Aqua jogging
- Flutter kicking
- Leg lifts
- Standing water push-ups
- Arm curls
Yoga in chair
chair yoga is a form of exercise that is very low impact, but it is also helpful to improve muscle strength, mobility, balance, and flexibility, all of which are health benefits for seniors. Chair yoga is an easy form of yoga exercise for seniors that provides less stress on muscles, joints, and bones than any other form of yoga. Additionally, chair yoga has been a very positive exercise to improve mental health in older adults. Regular chair yoga participants have experience of better quality sleep, lower instances of depression, and specifically a general sense of well-being.
chair yoga exercises for seniors include
- Overhead stretch
- Seated cow stretch
- Seated cat stretch
- Seated mountain pose
- Seated twist
Band workouts
Resistance bands are very stretchy strips of rubber that add resistance to workouts, reducing stress on people’s bodies. Resistance band workouts are very easy to use, and it is also accessible for beginners. This exercise is getting more popular among seniors because of the relatively cheap costs of materials, which makes resistance band workouts ideal for at-home exercise. Lastly, these exercises are very helpful for strengthening the core, which improves posture, mobility, and balance.
Resistance band workouts for seniors have this variety
- Leg press
- Triceps press
- Lateral raise
- Bicep curl
- Band pull apart
Pilates exercise
Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise popular since the 19th century. In Pilates exercises, breathing, alignment, concentration, and core strength are most important. These accessories help build strength without the stress of higher-impact exercises. Pilates has been most effective in improving balance, developing core strength, and increasing seniors’ flexibility. Therefore, this is a suitable exercise for seniors over 70.
Some pilates exercises for seniors include
- Mermaid movement
- Side circles
- Food slides
- Step-ups
- Leg circle
Walking
Walking is one of the most gentle exercises for seniors. The most less stressful and convenient form of exercise is walking. For some people, walking is a bigger challenge and more difficult than others, so distance and daily goals differ from person to person. For the normal population, 10,000 steps per day are advised for a healthy lifestyle, but those who have difficulty walking or have joint pain may settle for a smaller number as a goal. Walking gives you a healthy lifestyle while strengthening muscles, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer. Also, in this modern era, there are various apps on phones that can count your daily steps and calculate how many calories you have burned.
Some walking exercises for seniors
- Can walk through a park
- Can do a walk-friendly race to train for
- Can Walk the lawn of a familiar building
- Can listen to an audiobook or a playlist for stimulation during your walk
Benefits of exercise for older adults
Biological changes can happen as we grow older; thus, seniors need to be in shape and good health more than younger generations. Physical fitness and exercise provide good health benefits and a good life. But if we specifically talk about older adults, there are some specific benefits with exercise tips for seniors.
- In older adults, exercise helps you live a longer, healthier, and more joyous life. It also ensures your happiness by giving you a fit body and fewer diseases.
- Though it seems sarcastic, being inactive makes a person tired. Still, it actively gives you more energy. Any amount of exercise gives the release of endorphins, which are essential neurotransmitters linked to pain mitigation and intuition of well-being. Endorphins combat stress hormones, give healthy sleep and make you feel more lively and energetic overall.
- A healthy body has a healthy mind. Being an adult doesn’t mean that a person needs to sit idle and think of his life in flashbacks. A senior person can give himself a treat by exercising but with the exercise tips for seniors.
Last words
Exercise is important for older adults, but it can be hard to know and confusing where to begin. If a senior hasn’t worked out for a while, re-entry into the active world can be challenging. There’s also a good chance that the exercises they used to do once aren’t ideal for older adults. So before a senior launch into an exercise routine, it’s important to check with a physician to ensure the person is healthy enough for exercise and see which exercises are ideal for your current fitness level. But to get the best results out of the exercise, it is important to check exercise tips for seniors because working out or simple exercise can sometimes be tougher for them.