Senior Health: Exercise

Exercising and staying active is an essential part of life for people of all ages. While older adults may not feel as though they need to exercise, exercising can be a beneficial and healthy home care habit. Those who stay active and exercise on a daily basis are less likely to suffer from diseases and illnesses. Older adults who may already be in poor health can perform certain exercises and may see results in the improvement of their senior health and well being.

Some older adults avoid exercising because they are afraid that they might just hurt themselves. However, in the long run, they are hurting themselves by not exercising on a daily basis. Exercising routines for older adults can be much less strenuous and challenging than other serious workouts. It is important for older adults to take advantage of simple exercises in order to promote their strength and balance. Exercising will also help them to gain flexibility.

Before exercising on a daily basis, the older adult should always stretch first. Stretching prior to an exercise routine helps to prevent sprain and straining of the muscles. After about fifteen to thirty minutes of stretching, the individual can begin a nice workout routine. This routine can be composed of a number of different types of exercises. Some ideal exercises for older adults include walking, light jogging, and swimming. For starters, one should first give walking a try. After walking for about an hour each day, one can then begin to brisk walk. After brisk walking for a week or so, one may want to give light jogging a try. If the older adult does not want to jog, that is perfectly fine too. Just the walking alone is a great exercise for an older adult and it helps to improve their mobility.

Swimming is a great exercise for older adults for several reasons. One of the reasons is that the water is cool so the older adult is less likely to pass out from overheating while swimming. Becoming overheated can be quite dangerous. Another reason that swimming is a beneficial exercise for older adults is because it is a fun activity and does not actually feel like an exercise. Different activities can be performed while swimming and it is also a stress reliever. It is important for older adults to perform these different types of exercises to maintain their health and prevent future health conditions.