Exercise is very important for daily living. An active life will amount to a healthier and happier life. Regular exercise can be highly beneficial for a senior’s aging body and mind as it helps to improve strength, balance, and flexibility.
The older a person gets, the more susceptible they become to chronic diseases that exercise can help to prevent. Therefore, it is advisable for seniors to engage in an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary one. They’re exercises that are best suited for seniors, below are some of them:
Easy exercises for seniors
1. Walking
This is perhaps the easiest exercise for a senior, and it doesn’t require any special equipment or guidance. Walking 10,000 steps a day is an ideal target for a senior. Walking will greatly boost their heart and lung function and also greatly strengthen the legs and lower body parts. Seniors can form a walking team and walk together as a group; this will help to motivate and keep them busy by chatting amongst themselves, thereby making the walk less boring.
2. Stretching while sitting on a chair
While sitting on a chair, a senior can stretch and move their body by turning and twisting. For those who are familiar with yoga, it’s a form of yoga, but you do this while sitting comfortably on a chair. This will boost muscle retention and prevent muscle loss, as well. It is a very good way to improve mobility and balance.
3. Exercising inside water
Exercising inside water, be it swimming or aerobics is a great way for seniors to keep fit. It is an ideal exercise for seniors because it places little or no direct stress on the muscles and joints. It is also a great way to relieve the pain of arthritis and other joint pain which are common amongst older people. Exercising inside the water will have great impacts on strength, flexibility, and balance without any negative impacts on the joints or body in general.
4. Standing on one leg
This is a very easy exercise for seniors to try out. You will start by standing with both legs then slowly taking up your left leg while using the right leg for support, stay in this position for over 30 seconds then switch your leg, stand on the left while taking up the right leg. This exercise helps to strengthen the body and give balance.
Older adults can also engage in sports as a form of exercise. Some sports which an serve as easy exercises for seniors include, tennis, squash, table tennis, golf, and soccer.
If it isn’t possible to go out for these activities, seniors can invest in golf launch monitors and other sports simulators so they can ignore the harsh weather.
5. Light squats
Squatting is a form of exercise where a person lowers their upper body while maintaining a steady position. It involves moving the body downwards and then taking it up again repeatedly. It is a very effective way to improve balance and strength in seniors. Squats do not require any special equipment, which makes it a super easy option for seniors. To maintain the right posture while doing squats, ensure your back is straight to prevent any unpleasant outcome.
Exercise is very good for seniors and people of all ages, but seniors need to avoid some too demanding exercises and put undue pressure on their joints. Following the examples curated above, a senior can effectively exercise without worry. There are many more esy exercises for seniors such as planks, jogging, brisk walking etc.
