The key to healthy aging in seniors is exercise. Keeping seniors active can be helpful to improving the body and the mind. Active seniors feel a lot less sluggish and a lot more happy while also staving off the many types of disease and illness that we are all prone to developing in our later years.
But many seniors don’t have the drive or ambition to get up off the couch or the rocking chair and step outside for fresh air and exercise. The way to solve this problem is to find interesting forms of exercise that they can participate in, either by themselves or with others.
Consistent activity is important to keep seniors healthy and these are some of the best ways to get them excited about getting the exercise they need. In-Home Senior Care North Orlando can be of service to seniors who need a little motivation to become active.
Gardening Options
That’s right, gardening of any kind provides seniors with the healthy benefits of exercise and activity while helping them improve motor skills and offer relaxation at the same time. But in addition to giving seniors the means for exercise, just being outside can bring nutrients such as Vitamin D through sunlight and gardening can even bring seniors together as they work side by side in a community garden.
Adopting a Pet
Bringing an animal into the life of a senior can do more than offer companionship, it is also a great way to get exercise as well. A new pet can help reduce stress and lower blood pressure while also giving a senior purpose where there may not have been any before. A new furry or feathered friend in a senior’s home provides a responsibility for that animal’s well-being.
But as for exercise, a dog needs to be walked every day and cats like to play toys. Both of these types of pets can keep seniors active and help reduce the feelings of loneliness and depression that may sometimes crop up in older adults.
Active Routines
As for the typical methods for getting much-needed exercise, seniors can do just about anything they have the strength and stamina for. Whether that means taking a long stroll around the neighborhood, riding a bike, or going for a swim, all of these options can be incorporated into a sensible exercise routine to be practiced each week.
These activities are all ideal for helping seniors fight off the conditions that come with age, such as arthritic joint pain, aching muscles, and high blood pressure. Walking, swimming, even dancing can all make a senior’s life that much easier to live and enjoy. Just be careful about over-exerting a senior as there can sometimes be limits as to the amount of exercise one can do in a day.
Older adults may not have the strength to do things like lift heavy weights or do push-ups, they should only do what they feel comfortable with and never force or strain themselves into doing more than they are capable.