Simple Exercises for Senior Citizens

Exercise is necessary for everyone. When people grow older, they need to move around a little more to maintain a healthy weight and to prevent various diseases.

When individuals reach 65, they may begin to be less active and lack the enthusiasm to engage in exercise activities. They might find it difficult to move because of some physical or health issues. Since Courage Living Care & Services, Inc. wants the elderly to continue their workout routines despite their aging bones, here is a list of simple exercises they can practice:

Balancing Exercises

The skin, bones, and muscles of the elderly are more fragile than those of younger generations. Hence, when they do exercise, they should be extra careful, both in choosing the routines they practice and in executing them. Here are some safe balancing routines seniors can use.

• Leg Raise.

  This routine can be done by simply standing behind a chair, raising a leg, and holding it for 10 seconds. By completing two sets of 10 reps for this routine regularly, seniors’ balance could be improved.

• Chair Stands.

  Seniors should start in a seated position in an armless chair to do this routine. Once they are seated, they should keep their backs and shoulders straight while extending their arms parallel to the ground. While in this position, they should stand up slowly without using their hands. By repeating this routine 30 times every day, they can reduce risk of falls and improve their balance, too.

Endurance Exercises

Maintaining endurance is good for a senior’s heart. Actually, low endurance may happen anytime in a person’s life. However, the hearts of the elderly who need home care in Homestead, Florida are relatively weaker so they should keep their hearts pumping to maintain their hearts’ health.

• Aerobic activity.

  5-minute to 30-minute cardio sessions at least twice a week could already help in burning off calories and in decreasing cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

• Other basic exercise.

  Seniors’ endurance may be trained through walking, jogging, swimming, dancing and even by just simply climbing stairs. If they increase their heart rate up to 50% of its maximum impact, they can maximize the routine’s health benefits.

Flexibility Exercises

Aging can cause a loss of bone mass or density. Bones can also lose calcium and other minerals, so they get brittle. To ease this negative effect of aging on seniors’ bones, they can try these basic stretching exercises. This is especially recommended for those needing personal care in Florida to maintain flexible muscles,

• Neck Side Stretch
• Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch
• Back Stretch
• Ankle Circles
• Triceps Stretch

Find time to work out and exercise. You should remember that engaging in physical activities at a regular basis will not just help seniors maintain a physically fit appearance but it will also make them healthy.