Exercising is very important for our body. Regular exercise and good nutrition are part of a healthy lifestyle, especially as we get older. The older you get, the more vital it becomes to exercise.
There are a lot of benefits that the elderly can get from exercising, such as improved balance, more energy, preventing diseases, and improved brain function. As we get older, our body becomes weaker, so exercising is essential to fight that.
But it could be challenging for seniors to know what exercises they should do and where to begin, especially for those who don’t have experience in workouts. They can be easily overwhelmed.
This article will drop the best exercises that senior citizens could incorporate into their daily routine.
Chair Yoga
Chair Yoga is a form of exercise with low impact and can improve muscle strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility. All of these aspects are crucial for senior citizens’ health. Chair yoga is a form of yoga that is easier to access. It is low-impact because it causes less stress on the joints, muscles, and bones, unlike other forms of yoga.
Chair yoga is also known to boost the mental health of elderly people. People who regularly do chair yoga also experienced improved sleep quality, a good sense of well-being, and reduced signs of depression.
A good chair yoga program for senior citizens include:
- Seated cow stretch
- Overhead stretch
- Seated mountain pose
- Seated cat stretch
- Seated twist
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics has been a very popular exercise for different ages in the past years. Exercising while on the water is great, especially for those who have arthritis or other joint pain. Like chair yoga, it causes less stress on your joints because of the buoyancy of the water.
Also, water gives you natural resistance, which means you don’t need weights or other equipment in strength training. Exercises in water aerobics help improve your flexibility, strength, and balance with less stress applied to your body.
A good water aerobics program for senior citizens include:
- Flutter kicking
- Aqua jogging
- Standing water push-ups
- Leg lifts
- Arm curls
Workouts with Resistance Band
If you want to increase the resistance of your exercises without applying too much tension to your body, then these flexible rubber strips are good for you. These are resistance bands.
Resistance bands exercises are great for people of all ages, plus it’s a handy exercise tool, especially for beginners. Resistance band exercises are becoming more popular for seniors because they are cheap and cost minimal material, and it is perfect for home exercises.
Resistance band exercises can also improve your core strength, posture, balance, and mobility.
A good resistance band workout program for senior citizens include:
- Triceps press
- Leg press
- Bicep curl
- Lateral raise
- Band pull apart
If you’re worried about your senior parent exercising alone, make sure to get them a medical alert necklace or bracelet. But of course, it would be much better to join them in their routine.
Walking
Walking is one of the safest and accessible kinds of exercise. Walking is more difficult for some seniors than for others. Thus distance and step targets vary.
A healthy lifestyle is recommended for the general population of 10,000 steps per day. However, those who have trouble walking or suffer from joint pain may set a lower goal. According to a study published in PLOS One, walking 10,000 steps reduced death by 46% over ten years.
Walking helps you live a healthier lifestyle by strengthening your muscles and decreasing your chances of stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease.
Best walking exercises for senior citizens:
- Participate in a race where you can walk to the train.
- Walk to a park or moderate trail.
- Walk to or around a building that you know.
Bodyweight Exercises
For older people, muscle loss could cause distress and debilitation. Many seniors suffer from severe muscle loss, resulting in hormone imbalances, reduced protein metabolizing abilities, and other health problems.
One of the best ways to eliminate the consequences of muscular atrophy in older persons is to perform exercises using your own body weight.
One of the many benefits of bodyweight exercises is that they are not expensive. Bodyweight routines require a few tools; most only require exercise clothes and mats to cushion the floor.
A good bodyweight exercise program for senior citizens include:
- Step-up
- Squats to chair
- Lying hip bridges
- Side-lying circles
- Bird dog
Incorporate these exercises into your daily lives and achieve the highest quality of health for senior citizens. Also, do not forget to consume healthy foods and watch your nutrition to maximize the results of your exercises.
Your exercises will have minimal impact on your health if you consume unhealthy foods such as junk foods and drinks. Lastly, remember to drink plenty of water too.
