Exercises For Senior Citizens

When the body starts growing old it becomes all the more important to keep it active and fit. Exercises can help senior citizens maintain their physical fitness and keep their body flexible as well. Regular exercising is also known for its ability to reverse some of the symptoms of ageing. It is also known to have a positive effect on the mind and mood. As old age weakens a person’s memory, regular exercising can help one retain his/her memory and make him/her feel as sharp as ever. Also, it does not let an old person feel low as a disciplined regime of exercising can help boosting the production of happy hormones in the body. It also instills a sense of independence in a person, making him or her feel confident about his or her body. It helps in fighting against stress that one feels in the process of growing old––mental as well as physical. Old people, due to their medical conditions, are usually reluctant to follow a daily exercise routine. It seems that their failing health discourages them to follow a regime of physical exercise but it is all the more a reason to exercise daily as exercising helps relieve a person of his/her pain and discomfort. Since majority of exercises formulated for the old people are light and easy to do, they will be able to perform them on a regular basis. If you are a senior citizen, looking for some easy exercises to do on a regular basis, this article is right for you. Read the following lines and learn about safe exercises for senior citizens.

Walking is an easy as well as a safe exercise for people of all ages. Apart from making the body flexible, brisk walking, for about half an hour in the morning and evening, will keep old people fit and healthy. Depending upon their capacity to walk briskly, they should set the time limit for the exercise. It is also a very social activity since it can be done in an open environment with a bunch of friends. It is preferable to walk in the green surroundings like a park or an open ground. By doing so you will breath in fresh air as well as work out your muscles. Do not push yourself; try to listen to your body. If you feel tired at any point then rest for a while and start again; the point is not to exhaust yourself but to energize your body.

 

It is a fact that Yoga can cure a number of age-related ailments. 'Pranayam' and meditation are best suited for senior citizens. This age-old method helps in keeping the balance between the body and mind. Apart from reducing stress, yoga helps a person control high blood pressure and blood sugar level. It promotes flexibility and provides a great degree of relaxation as well. Yoga is a combination of very simple as well as complex exercises. Due to the fragility of bones and muscles, it is advisable for an old person to try only the simple ‘asanas’. If you are suffering from any back condition or neck condition then you should refrain yourself from the positions in yoga that can affect you. You need a yoga trainer who can guide you, what to do and what not to do in yogic exercises, according to your body.

 

Senior citizens can acquire training, in doing lightweight exercises, from a trainer. To begin with, they may practice light weight dumbbells and weight lifting. Lightweight training exercises would promote good health, apart from increasing the metabolism rate of the body.

 

The aerobic exercises tone up the body's muscles and add flexibility to them as well. Moreover, they lead to an improvement in blood circulation. Aerobics also strengthens the respiration process, by pumping in sufficient amount of oxygen. You may do the aerobic exercises for half an hour, at least thrice a week. Make sure that you choose mild exercises only.

Endurance exercises like climbing a few flights of stairs, cycling and swimming are suitable for senior citizens. You may gradually increase the duration of such exercises, depending upon your level of tolerance. While climbing stairs can be done daily, you may jog or go for a cycle ride once in three days or a week.

 

Swimming
Swimming is considered as one of the best exercises for people recuperating from surgeries and major health issues as well as for senior citizens. This is because swimming is an easy exercise to perform and not much impact is felt on ligaments and bones while swimming. It puts far less pressure and stress on the joints as compared to all the other exercises. In senior citizens it improves the cardiovascular conditioning, improves the flexibility of the joints and tones the muscles. It also helps in maintaining the posture of the body, which is very helpful for the old people as generally their backbone starts to lose its original posture and makes one look like he/she is stooping. Old people also start to lose the overall balance of their body––swimming helps them in keeping that balance. It also reduces the chances of osteoporosis.