Stay on Top of Fitness with Balancing Exercises
One common fear among older adults is the chance of falling and injuring themselves.
You can help prevent this fear from becoming a reality with balancing exercises. Start by holding on to a sturdy piece of furniture for support with both hands. Then, gradually let go.
Staring at a fixed point also helps with balance. Once you’re up for a challenge, try balancing with your eyes closed.
Tai chi, a gentle martial art popular with seniors, can be a great balancing exercise option. Many practitioners do tai chi outside.
Doing this allows them to get fresh air, spend time in nature, and engage in a bit of mindfulness meditation.
Physical activity can be a challenge, but the benefits often outweigh the risks. For one, exercise can be a social activity that lifts your mood.
What’s more, exercising allows you to feel strong, competent, and confident in your body.
Flexibility Exercises for Seniors
These are exercises that stretch your joints and connective muscles, thereby helping you stay limber.
With the above in mind, it is important to stagger your progress as far as exercising is concerned, especially if you have not been exercising. Start slow and progress slowly to meet your goals.
Additionally, it is essential to note that your exercise requirements depend on your health and age. As such, check with your physician to know what is right for you.
Generally, people aged 65 and above should engage in exercises dependent on their health and age.
Moreover, older adults need to focus on doing two physical activities every week: muscle-strengthening and aerobic exercises.
Good for Everyday Life
Flexibility often decreases with age. Joints and muscles get stiff when you don’t use them as much.
This issue can make everyday activities tougher to handle. To make those activities easier, try doing flexibility exercises.
A popular form of flexibility-focused exercise is yoga, and it offers plenty of health benefits. For instance, exercise can reduce lower back pain, increase relaxation, and improve flexibility.
If you’re interested in yoga, start with finding a senior class. Having a qualified and experienced instructor guide you along can help prevent strains, sprains, and other injuries that might hurt you.
The unique thing about yoga is that it is both a physical and mental exercise. Time spent practicing the exercise will help you focus on breathing, relaxing, and listening to your body.
You can also practice yoga at home with limited space.
To get started, find a qualified yoga instructor near you through the website Yoga for Seniors.
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The Importance of Physical Activities for Seniors
Senior Fitness: It seems that we see these two words together more and more these days. And for a good reason.
The health benefits provided through an appropriate fitness program and a sensible diet are undeniable.
Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand to build strong bones and muscles. Together, they help reduce blood pressure and that nasty gunk that builds up in those precious arteries.
You know, that stuff your doctor keeps hollering at you about every visit.
They call it plaque. Exercise also increases flexibility and decreases depression. But I am willing to bet you already know the reasons why you should exercise and eat right.
Now that you know about the different types of exercise let’s talk about their benefits.
The Benefits of Exercise for Seniors
Senior citizens can gain a lot from the exercise. The most basic of the benefits of engaging in physical activities is that it makes you feel better on an emotional and physical level.
However, there are plenty of other benefits to accrue from physical activities, including:
- Helping control your blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels while helping you manage conditions and ailments such as diabetes, arthritis, and other bone and joint problems.
- Better sleep
- Higher energy levels
- Improved mood
- Reduces the risk of a stroke, heart attack, and even some cancers
- Helps with pain management
- Improves joint movement
- Reduces the risk of falling, a primary concern as you age
- Physical activity can also prevent or delay chronic illnesses and help people living with diabetes and heart disease.
Senior Fitness: Type, Time, & Intensity
It is safe to say that the fitness routine from your college years or early 30s is too intense for you now. Getting fit without overdoing means learning which types of exercise you need and how long and how intensely to do them.
Before you start or choose a routine, learn about the following:
How Much Physical Activity Is Enough for Seniors?
If you are 65 or older, are fit, and do not have any ailments or health issues that affect your mobility, you should try and exercise or be active daily.
Ideally, you should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense activities on most days, if not all days.
