Why workouts are essential for seniors.
Due to the advances in medicine, people can live longer than ever before. But simply living longer does not mean happier life.
To enjoy longer lives fully, maintaining health is the priority. It is needless to say regular workouts can help you have a healthier and happier life.
Exercise can help to improve muscle strength and bone density, which is very important to perform daily living and prevent injuries from falls.
But if it has been a while since you stopped your workout or have never worked out before, it is hard to know where to start and what exercises to do.
So we sort out the 5 best exercises that can help to elevate your quality of life. Let's dive in!
1. Walking
Walking comes first as it is the most basic and familiar form of exercise, and it is free!
Walking strengthens your muscles and improves body balance. Considering falling is the most common type of injury among older people, walking is a great exercise to strengthen your lower body muscles.
But steps and distance can vary based on one's body condition. You might hear 10,000 steps per day is good for health, but it all depends on one's current condition.
If you have not worked out for a while, start with a small goal like walking around the park in your town.
2. Cycling
Cycling is another good exercise to start with. Especially for the elderly with weak joint issues. Cycling is a low-impact exercise that gives less stress to joints than walking.
The recumbent bike is a better choice than a regular stationary bike. Also, you can even cycle while you are seating on the couch and watching your favorite TV show.
Under desk bike or elliptical can be a smart choice to start with. If you would like to check out the under-desk elliptical or bike, click here.
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3. Water Aerobics
If the above-mentioned walking or cycling is not easy for you because of weak joints, we have another great solution.
Water aerobics is a great low-impact exercise for elders who suffers from joint issues. In the water you have buoyancy from water, so you can exercise with less stress on joints.
Also because of resistance from water, your can naturally strengthen your muscle just by moving in the water. You can easily find out aqua aerobics programs from community centers around your town.
4. Resistance Band workout
The resistance band is getting very popular today. It is a stretchable rubber band and is very cheap. Also, it comes with various strengths and lengths.
So with just a few resistance bands, you can perform hundreds of variations on your workout right from your living room or bedroom.
With low up-front costs and unlimited resources from Youtube, your home becomes a great gym whenever you grab the resistance bands.
5. Body-Weight Training
The biggest issue older adults face is muscle loss. You can prevent muscle loss and even gain muscle through regular exercise.
But it is not recommended for elder people to use weight for muscle training. Using one's body weight is an excellent way as it decreases the risk of injury dramatically.
Usually, body weight training does not require any special tool. You can simply perform various exercises like squats on the chair or lying hip bridges on the floor.
If you want to take your body-weight training next level, you can check out Total Gym's XLS.
With a longer life span, exercise is essential for a happy and meaningful life for seniors. Let's get started today for a happier and healthier life.
