4 Exercises Seniors Should Do Everyday
Do you have a list of exercises for seniors on your fridge door, or does the thought of exercising make you feel tired? You’re never too old to exercise, even if you have a chronic condition. The secret is consistency and moderation. Having a Home Health Aide (HHA) to support and encourage you can make your fitness journey a lot more fun.
Have you heard of Betty Goedhart and Jim Arrington? At 85 years old, Betty was still a performing female trapeze artist, and Jim still actively participated in bodybuilding competitions in his late 80s. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or trapeze artist, but there are simple exercises you can do at home. We discuss four exercises that seniors should try to do every day.
Chair Yoga
When you first hear the word yoga, you might think of the lotus position, handstand, or the seemingly impossible bow pose. Fortunately, even as an older adult with or without chronic diseases, you can enjoy yoga stretching exercises from the comfort of a chair. Before starting any exercise, always consult with your healthcare professional, especially when you have a chronic illness.
What is chair yoga? It is a low-impact exercise that improves muscle strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility. An accessible activity, it places much less stress on bones, joints, and muscles than traditional yoga. You can learn the basic chair yoga moves at a senior community event and practice them at home.
Resistance Band Workouts
Have you ever worn suspenders? Resistance bands are a bit like suspenders but for muscles. They are elastic or fabric bands that add resistance or tension during exercise, making movements more difficult but helping build muscle strength. They come in different sizes and shapes and can be looped around your arms or legs. You can even do many of the exercises seated on a chair, as resistance band workouts are accessible for beginners, user-friendly, and relatively inexpensive. They are ideal for home exercise while strengthening your core and improving your balance, posture, and mobility.
Dumbbell Strength Training
Dumbbells are not only for people like Jim Arrington when he prepares for a bodybuilding competition; they are for every senior who wants and needs to do strength training. Why should you do strength training? It improves back pain, osteoporosis, depression, and the symptoms of diabetes. And even better, you can do it seated on a chair. Dumbbells come in different weights but must be used with proper precautions, so start with a lighter dumbbell weight and use heavier ones as your muscles grow stronger. Another reason to do dumbbell strength training every day: it improves your balance and flexibility while increasing your metabolism.
Walking
You have been doing this exercise your whole life, but somehow with age, your body protests a bit more when you expect it to do something that usually comes naturally. If you’re in good health, set the step goals you want to achieve and measure them with a pedometer. If your body has mobility limitations, walking around the couch every day is good enough as long as you aim to increase your steps. Why should you walk every day as an older adult? It strengthens muscles and lowers your risk of diabetes, colon cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
Make exercise fun with a UMC HomeWorks home health aide
Are you excited about trying some of these exercises but worried about hurting yourself? There is a physical exercise for everyone, and it is a lot more fun with the help of a UMC HomeWorks home health aide. They are certified, compassionate, and will help you achieve whatever exercise goal you set for yourself. Best of all, they will do all the exercises with you!
United Methodist Communities HomeWorks provide home care to seniors all across New Jersey. Please visit our website for more information or contact our team today if you want a home health aide to help with exercises for seniors: https://umcommunities.org/homeworks
