Everyone, including the elderly, is advised to partake in exercises and physical activity. Older adults are encouraged not to give up on keeping their bodies fit in their later years. With regular physical activity, you will hardly find it difficult to accomplish daily tasks. Furthermore, these activities will reduce your dependence on people even in old age. The unfortunate bit is that several research studies have established that only a handful of older adults have made it a habit to take part in regular physical activity. Just as a reminder, physical activity can increase your strength, improve your balance, enhance your mood, and reduce the occurrence of health complications such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and osteoporosis. There is also a likelihood that physical activity can reduce your risk of being diagnosed with some types of cancer.
Over the years, health professionals have continued to emphasize the benefits that older adults may derive if only they incorporated 100 minutes of physical activity in a week. Some of these activities include walking, cycling, or swimming, just to name a few. A lot has been said about the positive outcomes of physical activity. However, it is important to delve into the different types of exercises that are suitable for people in this age group. Read on and learn some of the activities that may help you to regain your fitness level.
Endurance exercises
As the name suggests, these exercises are designed to test your level of endurance. How much can you take? Some of the activities that fall under this category include dancing and brisk walking. These exercises are essential towards improving the health of your lungs, heart, and circulatory system. If you choose this mode of working out, you will hardly find it challenging to take on demanding activities such as climbing stairs or mowing your lawn.
Strength exercises
It is common knowledge that strength is an integral component of your body. As you think of physical activities, you should sample out those that will increase your muscle strength. The use of resistance bands and lifting of weights is some of the workout plans that can help you to have a strong body. Being an older adult, perhaps your grandchildren are looking forward to being lifted by their grandpa. What if you need to carry groceries from your car? All these undertakings will require you to exert some bit of strength. Going forward, make your muscles count for something.
Flexibility or stretching exercises
Who doesn’t want to have a flexible body? The majority of older adults find it hard to move their bodies at will. What they have are rigid bodies that are one fall away from being bedridden. If you’re the kind of person who is often forced to tread cautiously due to the delicate nature of your body, stretching exercises will suffice. These workouts are more or less like yoga since they afford you the freedom of movement. With a flexible body, you will find it easy to look over your shoulder, or you can even bend to tie your shoes. Growing old with a moving body is a recipe for aging gracefully.
Balance exercises
Older adults are prone to falling. Upon further investigation, there is a likelihood that most of them tumble down to the ground due to lack of balance. The frequency of such a habit can turn out to be a significant health risk among the elderly. If you get an opportunity to join the exercise for the elderly program, you will be taken through balance exercises. In a bid to ensure that you can maintain your balance at all times, you will be introduced to the tai chi class. This form of exercise is often described as a slow meditation in motion. If need be, you might be trained to stand on one foot.
Intensity exercises
Once in a while, you should consider the idea gauging the intensity of your body, especially when you engage in aerobic activity. Since you’re an older adult, it is advisable to subject your body to moderate-intensity exercises. These workouts will lead to a slight increase in your breathing rate. Some practical activities such as line-dancing, leisure swimming, and playing doubles tennis will put your body to test.
If being physically active has not been your cup of tea, you should adopt a new way of doing things. You cannot afford not to keep your body in shape. Always remember that you’re aging and you might develop health complications if you fail to put in place prevention measures. In this regard, enroll in physical activity sessions. At the end of it all, you will achieve physical fitness levels that do not resemble your age. Why do you want to be a burden to others just because you chose to live a stable life? Style up.
