5 Safe Exercises for Seniors to Stay Active and Healthy

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A healthy lifestyle is a must-have at every stage of life. However, as people age, the requirements and nutrition levels change as well. For seniors, exercise is a crucial aspect as it helps in preventing slip and fall accidents, and diseases, and improves overall health, and cognitive functions.

So, there is no better way to stay fit than exercising every day but you might wonder if all exercises are safe and effective for seniors. Aged people need to ensure that the exercise schedule does not harm their health. Exercise is a crucial aspect for older adults but there is a good chance that that the ones you are into may not be recommended for seniors.

So, read on to know these safe exercise programs for seniors to stay active and healthy:

1. Chair yoga

Chair yoga is a low-impact exercise that helps in improving muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and mobility, all of which are significant health aspects for seniors. It is highly accessible and has also been shown to improve mental health. A few moves that are part of this daily exercise for seniors include seated cow stretch, seated mountain stretch, seated twist, seated cat stretch, and overhead stretch.

2. Pilates

Pilates is another form of exercise that is ideal for seniors and leverage alignment, breathing, and core strength. It usually involves equipment like pilate balls, mats, and various inflated accessories to build strength. The good thing is that this form of exercise builds strength but comes without the stress that is commonly found in high-impact exercises.

3. Walking

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for seniors. The only thing that needs to change for older adults is the pace of walking and balance. Even highlyaged people can walk with the help of a walker and cane. A nature walk along the beach or creek also improves agility and balance as it allows walking on different terrains. If you are looking for the best exercise for elderly people, let walking spearhead your schedule. However, the step goals and the distance to walk may differ from person to person. For an individual with no major health issues, about 10,000 steps everyday may be an ideal choice and lower the risk of stroke, diabetes, coronary diseases, and colon cancer.

4. Body weight workout

One of the major concerns that older adults often face is severe loss of muscles, resulting in hormone imbalance, reduced ability to digest proteins, and various other issues. The body weight workouts are ideal for those suffering from muscle loss as they help in countering the effects of muscle atrophy. It is a popular form of exercise for older adults as the materials required for this purpose are minimal; all that you may need are comfortable-fitting clothes and a mat to reduce the impact on the floor. A few of these exercises include squats to chairs, lying hip bridges, bird dog, and side-lying circles. Younger individuals can resort to effective workouts at home to lead a healthy lifestyle.

5. Strength training

For older adults suffering from health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, or chronic back pain, strength training is a safe exercise. Not only does it helps minimize weight but also boost the metabolism rate. Besides, it also helps aged individuals control glucose level in their bodies. Exercise is one of the key aspects for everyone looking forward to maintain physical and mental health. Even seniors need to engage in physical activities. However, they must consult specialists to choose senior exercise programs at home and practice these activities under supervision to safeguard from injuries and stay fit.

Theresa Perez

Theresa Perez is a seasoned writer for the health industry dedicated to providing fact-based health information. She sources concise facts from authoritative sources to ensure maximum credibility and shares guidelines to lead a healthy lifestyle.