Benefits of Exercise for Seniors

As we get older, our bodies start to change. You may notice you don’t have the same energy as you once did, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still prioritize physical activity and continue to enjoy your life, however you want.

There are tons of benefits to prioritizing physical activity for seniors. Staying active can help individuals who suffer from arthritis control unwanted joint swelling and pain.

It may also help reduce your risk of falling or fracturing bones. Once you start to make a routine out of exercise, you may also feel a new sense of well-being, which can help combat signs of depression. Exercising every day has also proven to help increase blood flow to your brain and body, which helps prevent dementia, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

If you’re ready to take control of your life and start prioritizing physical activity, we’re here to help lead the way.

Here are a few exercises and the benefits to help you get started.

Yoga

Yoga is known for being easy on the body, and you can go at your own pace. It can also help improve your balance, flexibility, and breathing patterns.

If you’re interested, you’ll want to start with some beginner yoga poses and breathing exercises.

Taking a daily walk

If the weather permits, a daily walk is one of the best ways to get your steps in for the day, get your body moving, and of course, enjoy the great outdoors. Taking the time to go on a daily walk every day can help improve your heart health, mental health, and lower your blood pressure.

We recommend turning your daily walk into a routine. Every day after you wake up, go on a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood. You can also take a walk to unwind and cool down after a long day. No matter what you decide, the first step is to turn it into a habit so you can enjoy the benefits for years to come.

Light strength training

Strength training is one of the best ways to put different muscles to work and gain muscle mass. The biggest benefit is its ability to increase your energy levels, muscle mass, and bone density. After the age of 30, our muscle mass starts to decrease by 3-8% every decade.

The best way to combat this ongoing change is by prioritizing strength training in your everyday workout routine.

To get started we recommend:

Squats to Chair
Side Planks
Wall Push-Ups
Chin Ups

If you have any weights hanging around your house, don’t be afraid to pick them up and do some light bicep curls or rows.

Try out a treadmill

Taking a walk on the treadmill can be a great way to increase your daily step count and get your body moving. Not only is it not too hard on your joints or knees, but you get to pick the speed and time.

It’s similar to going on a walk, except you can choose to watch your favorite show or read a book. Try your best to jump on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you’re ready to take it up a notch, you can play with the speed and incline for more of a challenge, but try not to push your body too far if it’s uncomfortable.

Water Aerobics

Water aerobics can be a great, full-body workout. When you exercise in water, you put less stress on your joints. This makes it a great workout for anyone with chronic joint pain or arthritis. If you’re interested, we recommend checking out some local recreation centers near you and seeing if they have any water aerobics classes available.

If you don’t already work out regularly, we recommend starting with slow, short intervals of 10-15 minutes of moderate physical activity. From there, you can bring it up to 30 minutes, five times a day.

At Senior Care Companions, our caregivers can help you reach your physical activity goals and lead you to live a better quality of life. Whether you need D ementia & Alzheimer’s care or general home care. We can help you prioritize physical activity and make it an integral part of your daily routine.

Remember: always listen to your body. As your body changes with age, never feel discouraged about working out and prioritizing your health. If you’re ready to explore new avenues of physical activity and care, make sure you let your friends and family member know so you don’t have to be alone in this journey.

Seniors need attention and love during the holidays, just like everyone else. Unfortunately, some people forget to visit their loved ones during the busiest times of the year.

Finding ways to take care of seniors during the holidays is extremely important. Doing so involves helping them with their physical, mental, and emotional needs. Let’s look into the ways you can take care of seniors during the holiday season.

Hire a Service

Some seniors might not be able to help themselves with different tasks such as:

Mobility to go places
Remembering important details and schedules
Assistance with motor skills

Whatever you may need, we here at Senior Care Companions can help. We offer various services to help seniors each day. You can find assistants to help them 24/7, or just a few hours of the day.

While you should help seniors when you can, you may need professional help. After all, you can’t be at their sides 24/7, so see if you can find a reliable service to look after them.

Plan Fun Activities

Seniors can face boredom during the holidays, especially if they don’t have people to spend time with them. Coming up with fun activities you can do with one another is important to their mental and emotional wellbeing. Potential activities include:

Sit down and play board games together
Enjoy holiday activities like eating or watching movies
Go for a walk through the park

Focus your attention on letting them have fun. Doing so can help you take care of them emotionally and mentally. For example, they could feel happy after the activities or thankful you thought of them.

Seniors can potentially become lonely and depressed during the holidays, so take the time to plan fun activities for them. Doing so can help them overcome the mundane and boring moments in their lives.

Prepare Them Ahead of Time

Some seniors may like to stick with their schedules. If you know seniors like this, you should prepare them before any activities. Some seniors may have health problems, so make sure you accommodate them.

You can do this in multiple ways such as:

Ensure they have a way to safely reach the areas if they have to use wheelchairs
Give them specific food if they have dietary restrictions
Show them pictures of who they’ll see at the event if they suffer from memory loss

You don’t want to worry them, so make sure you take some time to talk and prepare. This can help them understand the plan and feel comfortable during the activity.

Visit Them Regularly

Often people forget to help seniors with their mental and emotional health during the holidays. If you want to help them during the holidays, just visiting them is an easy way to make their day.

Visiting seniors can help them out in many ways:

Allows them to talk with someone
Shows them others care about their well-being
Help them with tasks or anything else they need

When you visit a senior, you can help them feel happy. You can also help them avoid feelings of loneliness or boredom if they have to live away from home. Even if you have seniors in your life who live on their own, you should visit them during the holidays.

Seniors recognize the time you take to visit them, so they’ll appreciate your efforts.

Ask Them What They Want

Sometimes, people try to make decisions for seniors, so you should communicate when possible. If you communicate with them, you can avoid some problems.

Ensure they do something they like and avoid boredom
Meet their personal needs and keep them safe
Learn more about them and their interests

These points can help you find an activity that will make the seniors happy. You don’t want to drag them to an activity they don’t like, so you need to communicate with them. That way, you can find something you’ll both enjoy.

Some people forget to remember each senior as a person. Make sure you show these seniors you care by asking them what they want. As you do so, you can form stronger relationships with them.

Final Comments

The holidays give you a great opportunity to show your love to the seniors in your life. Whether you want to help relatives in your family or the local seniors, you can make the holidays better for them.

If you want to help these seniors out, try out the ideas above. If you need assistance in taking care of the seniors in your life, reach out to Senior Care Companions.

Have any Questions? Just give us a call, we would love to help in any way.

“Quality Care You Can Trust – Since 2004”