Throughout your life, your exercise options will change to fit your age and body. It is a good idea to exercise at any age, but seniors should make activity a priority.
The health benefits of exercise in seniors are very substantial. It not only helps you live longer, but your life quality will be better and you’ll enjoy it much more. Seniors value their independence, and exercising can help them maintain their independence much longer. In addition, exercise that includes balance can help reduce falls by up to 23 percent in seniors. Other benefits include more energy, less diseases, improved brain function, and more.
Here are some exercise ideas for older adults to try:
Water Aerobics – Ideal for those with joint pain because it is low impact and the water helps take weight off of your joints. This exercise improves balance, strength, and flexibility with low stress.
Chair Yoga – This kind of exercise helps with muscle strength, flexibility and balance. Chair yoga takes pressure and stress off of muscles and joints. Many seniors aren’t able to do traditional yoga without getting hurt, so chair yoga is much more appropriate.
Resistance Bands – This option is not only user friendly and low cost, but you can do it anywhere. They don’t take up much space, so you can take them and use them when you need. Resistance bands can improve posture, balance, mobility, and core strength.
Pilates – Pilates is low impact and popular with seniors. Focuses on breathing, body alignment, core strength, and concentration. This improves flexibility and balance.
Walking – Avoid walking up steep hills or anywhere with uneven ground where you can trip and fall. Try walking on sidewalks or on trails. Try listening to music while walking, or go with a friend.
Hand Weights or Dumbbells – Using smaller and lighter weights is ideal for seniors who need to build up strength. This allows them to train small muscle groups at a time and only work on the muscles they need to work on. This will help you gain more ability to pick up and carry some items in your daily life. It also helps balance and flexibility like the other ones mentioned above.
Exercises that seniors over 65 should avoid doing:
Weighted squats
Bench presses
Leg presses
Long distance running
Rowing upright
Dead lifts
High intensity training
Rock climbing
In conclusion, there are many fun and interesting ways for older adults to get their work-outs safely. Try some of these tips for a better quality of life.