Exercises for Seniors - Stay Fit as You Get Older
Exercises for seniors are an important part of maintaining energy and staving off illness during aging. Check out our tips for retaining mobility and staying fit!
Fitness and exercise are important at any age. Daily physical activity helps to maintain good health, and it becomes especially important as we get older to avoid disease and maintain well-being! There are many low-impact exercises for seniors so they can keep up with their grandchildren. Share the exercises that work for you on your favorite family app!
How Much Exercise Should Older Adults Engage in Each Week?
It’s especially important as we get older to exercise so that we can enjoy a long, healthy life. For older adults, it’s important to get approximately 150 minutes of physical activity a week. It may sound like a lot, but if you break it down, it's only about 30 minutes a day, for 5 days a week. You can also split that up with different routines and workouts.
Whether you want to focus on strength, flexibility, or balance, exercises for seniors at home will help. While this can help to stave off disease and improve brain function, it’s important to know your boundaries. Pay attention to your body signals. If your knee hurts during a specific physical activity, refrain from it for the moment and talk to your doctor about other exercises that might be a better fit.
What Are Good Exercises for Seniors?
There are plenty of great exercises for older adults who are mindful of their health. Be sure to share your tips for staying fit on FamilyApp!
- Water Aerobics - If you’re a senior dealing with arthritis or knee and lower back pain, exercising in water can be a great low-impact option. Water provides natural resistance but will also help to eliminate the stress of constant impact. Whether you swim laps or do water aerobics, water sports offer some of the best exercises for older adults.
- Walking - Walking may be one of the most readily available exercises around. However, it also happens to be one of the easiest exercises for seniors during a lockdown. If you’re pretty mobile, getting in 10,000 steps can be as simple as planning a hike or walk with a friend.
- Pilates - If you’ve never tried it, Pilates is a great low-impact exercise option that has been around for many years. It focuses on core exercises, breathing, and alignment and often involves a mat. For seniors, it can work to improve balance and core strength, and also increase flexibility.
- Resistance Training - One of the most important parts of aging gracefully is being able to maintain muscle. A resistance band can be one of the best exercises for older adults at home. If a resistance band is not ideal, try a bodyweight workout instead! It’s easy to strengthen your muscles, even with moderate intensity.
Which Exercises Should Seniors Avoid?
A little fitness is an important part of an active senior’s lifestyle, but not every workout is a good idea. If you already have a great fitness base, you can most likely continue your exercises as you age, though you might have to modify some of your training so that you don't strain your joints.
If you've always been an avid runner, it can continue to be a great exercise into your later decades, but since running can put a lot of pressure on your joints, it's not a great idea to start an intense long-distance running routine after 65. Various types of high-intensity training straining the joints might also not be ideal if you haven't been especially active earlier in life.
When it comes to strength training, be sure to use machines and heavy weights with caution so you don't strain your back. Squats, bench presses, leg presses, and deadlifts can also put undue pressure on the body if you don't have the right form. Instead of pushing it, it can be worth consulting a health professional to determine an appropriate workout. Share your easy exercises for older adults on your favorite family app!
Running and rock climbing may be great when you’re young, but you might enjoy other forms activity more as you age. Given that 150 minutes of exercise are recommended each week, it’s important to choose low-impact workouts. Also, it's better to focus on strength, mobility, and flexibility than intensity. Do you have any favorite exercises for seniors? Share them with others in our comments! Getting older doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy a good calorie burn.
