Regular exercise is vital for healthy aging. It strengthens the heart and helps prevent diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis. It is especially important to do exercises that improve balance and flexibility. Including walking, tai chi, or chair yoga in your workout routine can help reduce falls and injuries.
Strength Training
Strength training — which challenges the muscles against a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as lifting weights or putting resistance on a machine — builds muscle mass and strengthens bones. This kind of exercise is important for everyone, especially seniors. It helps them maintain their strength for everyday tasks, such as climbing stairs or rising from a chair.
Regular strength (resistance) training can slow down the natural decline in strength as people age. This makes it essential to a healthy lifestyle, and there is always time to start.
The good news is that you don’t need to get a gym membership or invest in a set of weights to do strength training. Many exercises can be done using the body’s weight, and you can even use a set of small dumbbells or ankle weights to make things easier for your clients.
Balance Exercises
Falls are one of the most common causes of serious injury for seniors. Strengthening balance and improving coordination can help seniors feel more confident on their feet and reduce their risk of falls.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart at the end of a line (tape, string, or something similar). If you’re not quite strong enough to do this without holding onto a chair or countertop, try it with one hand in your pocket and the other in front of you, or hold on to someone else for support.
If you want to step it up, lift your right foot off the ground an inch while keeping your other foot planted on the floor. Try five repetitions on each side, then move on to the next exercise. It’s important to start slow and work your way up to these exercises. If you need extra support, consider joining a group exercise class for senior citizens.
Flexibility Exercises
According to fitness trainers like Alexandra Chipurnoi, as we age, our flexibility decreases, and it becomes even more important to incorporate stretching exercises into a regular exercise routine. Gentle motions are used in flexibility exercises to help muscles and joints move more freely. These exercises include seated or standing stretches as the standing quadriceps stretch.
Stand with your feet about a foot apart and firmly press them into the ground. Slowly lift your right leg off the ground. Hold for ten seconds, and then lower it back down. Repeat ten to fifteen times per leg.
This exercise targets the quadriceps muscle located in the front of your knee. It helps improve lower body strength and mobility for walking, avoiding obstacles, and getting out of chairs. It also strengthens your balance.
Cardio Exercises
It’s no secret that cardiovascular exercise — a physical activity that raises your heart rate for an extended period — benefits senior health. Adults 65 and older are advised to engage in at least 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity at a moderate level.
However, as you age, your body needs to decrease the amount of impact exercise it does. High-impact activities, such as running, can cause serious damage if done by someone older and not previously conditioned to the activity.
A better option is a low-impact cardio exercise such as walking, cycling or swimming. Another option is rebounding, which can help improve bone density while providing a low-impact workout on a forgiving surface. It can be performed by marching, jogging or jumping on a mini trampoline.
Performing these exercises will also strengthen your leg muscles and increase balance. A simple balance exercise for seniors can be achieved by standing behind a chair with your hands at the back. Slowly lift your right leg straight back – don’t point the foot or bend the knee. Repeat this 10 to 15 times on each leg.