As you age, your daily physical pace might slow down markedly. Still, the aging process does not provide a valid excuse for not exercising and actually provides you numerous benefits. Discover the essential role that fitness can have in your life as a senior adult.
How Fitness Levels Impact a Senior’s Life
Exercise proves beneficial for people of every age. However, it can especially benefit people who are in their senior citizen years.
As you get older, you may find yourself more prone to falls and injuries. Your muscles and bones can weaken significantly, putting you at risk of falling down stairs, tripping over objects on the floor, or losing your balance in the shower. These falls and accidents can then result in devastating injuries like a broken hip or shattered arm bone.
Part of keeping your body strong involves getting enough exercise every day. Daily exercise keeps your muscles and bones strong. It also promotes better balance and steadier walking. You could have more stamina and also help lower your blood pressure by working out every day.
How Fitness Can Help a Senior’s Health
Even more, daily exercise can boost your immune system. As you age, your immune system can weaken. You could become more susceptible to illnesses like the common cold, the flu, and pneumonia.
Likewise, the aging process can take a negative toll on your mental health. You could experience depression and anxiety, particularly if you live alone and do not have an active social life. Part of keeping yourself mentally and physically well involves getting enough exercise every day.
Some of the ideal moderately intensive exercises that you can do as a senior include:
- Water Aerobics
- Brisk Daily Walking
- Bike Riding
- Dancing or Jazzercise
- Hiking
If you have more stamina and can handle higher-impact exercises, you might try:
- Running
- Aerobics
- Swimming
- Uphill Hiking
- Skiing or Ice Skating
- Martial Arts
As a senior, it is also important for you to keep your muscles toned. Muscle toning exercises that you can do every day or every other day include:
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Weightlifting
- Working Out with Resistance Bands
- Pushups
- Sit-ups
Even if you cannot stand for very long or have poor balance, you can still exercise. You can find chair exercise routines for seniors on social media platforms like YouTube.
The Impact No Exercise Has on Seniors
If you fail to exercise every day, you could put yourself at a higher risk of earlier death. You also allow your bones and muscles to weaken and compromise your own mental health.
Even if you only do a few minutes of exercise per day, you still improve your overall wellness. As you build stamina and resistance, you should aim to work out at least 25 minutes a day or 150 minutes per week.
Daily exercise plays a key role in your life as a senior. The aging process does not exempt you from exercising at least 25 minutes per day. You can engage in moderate to high-intensity exercises as your stamina and health allow. Daily exercise can improve both your physical and mental wellness.