Exercise in Your Golden Years
Maintaining Health into Your Golden Years
Everybody ages, and as we age we tend to slow down a bit. Our bodies change and we find ourselves having stiffness, aches and pains where none were before. It's very tempting to simply quit exercising; however, this is a recipe for loss of fitness. Instead, adjusting your fitness routine is the way to go. Read on to find out how.
The Importance of Active Lifestyle
No matter what age you are, activity is very important. To stay fit, active and alert, it's necessary to practice some form of exercise and/or stretching every day. Doing this will improve your overall health and help you keep the strength you need to attend to your daily tasks and remain independent.
Loss of muscle mass and stamina are common with aging. For this reason, it's important to avoid forms of exercise that are intended for people who are young and very fit. Instead, seek forms of exercise that are gentle and simple to do and allow you a great margin of success.
Choosing the Appropriate Exercise
When you choose your exercise appropriately, you will avoid the risk of injury. There are many excellent seated exercise routines for seniors to choose from. Additionally, you can adapt to almost any light exercise video to do while remaining seated. Remember to keep a set of light dumbbells or even a couple of one pound cans of something by your TV chair to get a little exercise while you watch TV.
If you have never exercised before, don't despair. You can begin with very simple, gentle exercises such as range of motion and other light physical therapy type exercises. Ask your doctor for resources to help you learn light and gentle forms of exercises to get you started. Once you are stronger and feeling more confident, you may wish to move on to water aerobics, yoga, tai chi or some other fairly quiet form of exercise.
Water aerobics is a great form of safe exercise for seniors. It is especially helpful for those with arthritis. When participating in water aerobics, the water supports your weight and helps you keep your balance. If you do fall, you have nothing to fear because you can simply relax and float! Water aerobics classes also provide a wonderful opportunity to socialize.
When you exercise regularly, you are far less likely to fall in your daily life. Continuing to exercise helps you retain your sense of balance and your physical strength. If you do slip and fall, you are far more likely to do so without breaking a bone. If you do break a bone, you will recover more quickly if you are in good shape thanks to regular exercise. If you are already fairly fit, you may simply wish to add more enjoyable activities to your life.
If you have never exercised before, don't despair. You can begin with very simple, gentle exercises such as range of motion and other light physical therapy type exercises. Ask your doctor for resources to help you learn light and gentle forms of exercises to get you started. Once you are stronger and feeling more confident, you may wish to move on to water aerobics, yoga, tai chi or some other fairly quiet form of exercise.
Water aerobics is a great form of safe exercise for seniors. It is especially helpful for those with arthritis. When participating in water aerobics, the water supports your weight and helps you keep your balance. If you do fall, you have nothing to fear because you can simply relax and float! Water aerobics classes also provide a wonderful opportunity to socialize.
When you exercise regularly, you are far less likely to fall in your daily life. Continuing to exercise helps you retain your sense of balance and your physical strength. If you do slip and fall, you are far more likely to do so without breaking a bone. If you do break a bone, you will recover more quickly if you are in good shape thanks to regular exercise. If you are already fairly fit, you may simply wish to add more enjoyable activities to your life.
Health for Your Golden Years
You can use your pursuit of an active lifestyle as an opportunity to spend more time with friends, family members and especially grandchildren. Getting together for walks, swimming, bike rides or even dancing can be excellent ways to stay in touch with those you love while staying fit. By making adjustments to accommodate the changes in your body as you age, you can stay fit, healthy and active. Follow the tips presented here to make the most of your healthy golden years.
