Exercise is an important activity we must all strive to do for its many positive health benefits. It can:
- Help with controlling your weight.
- Combats health conditions and diseases (e.g., strokes, depression, and arthritis).
- Improve your mood- physical activity stimulates certain chemicals and hormones within your body to help you feel happier, less stressed, and more relaxed.
- Boost your energy levels.
- Improve your sleep.
- Spark your sex drive.
Therefore, exercise brings along with it many benefits to the mind and body Contrary to popular assumptions, exercise is not exclusively for young people, or solely for the able-bodied, it is for everyone! More importantly, it does not have to be extremely strenuous or intense. So, if you want to best take care of yourself, you should endeavor to be physically active. Read on to learn about some exercises that you can do as an older adult.
1. Yoga
Yoga is another great example of an exercise for older adults because it is not extremely intense, so it will not cause pain to your body. Importantly, doing yoga can:
- Improve your balance- it can help strengthen your abdominal muscles and, therefore, can help you to improve and strengthen your core stability.
- Help strengthen your bones- Some yoga routines include weight-bearing postures and moves, which can help make your bones strong. So, if done consistently, over time, and eventually, your bones will strengthen!
You can practice yoga at home using video tutorials to aid you. Alternatively, you could go to a fitness class which provides the activity. For example, The Gatesworth provides Saint Louis retirement living options that offer fitness classes and training for older adults. The advantage of fitness classes is that you will not be alone. So, exercise can become more enjoyable as others surround you in a similar position.
2. Gentle stretches
If you want to start easy and eventually build yourself up, you may wish to begin with some gentle stretches. While it does not seem like much, anything is better than nothing. So, if you can, sand up and do some gentle stretches. If you cannot get up, you can even simply do them while sitting or lying down.
3. Swimming
Swimming is a great exercise for people of all ages, including older adults. Benefits of swimming for older adults include:
- Improved cardiovascular health- swimming can make your heart stronger and healthier. So, it can also help to lower your blood pressure, improve circulation and lessen the chance and likelihood of developing heart and lung disease.
- Gentle for your joints- Since swimming is not weight-bearing, it will not trigger feelings of pain or distress for people who suffer from joint issues. There will be no pressure placed on your hips, knees, or spine!
- Increase flexibility- Swimming can help you become more flexible all over your body, e.g., legs, arms, neck, and hips.
- Improved muscle tone and strength- want stronger muscles? Then swimming can do just the trick as it is a form of resistance training.