Easy Everyday Exercises To Keep Seniors Fit

Excellent physical health leads to excellent mental health. Hence, we need to encourage our seniors to get the extra energy doses their body well deserves! According to CDC, an average adult needs 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 mins of Vigorous exercise weekly. However, with age, some of us may find it challenging to cope with these requirements, and therefore, it is essential for us to begin with our baby steps towards fitness. In this article, we discuss Six simple indoor exercises to keep our seniors fit and healthy.

Walk, Walk And Walk

Walking is an excellent form of physical activity that doesn’t need much effort. It involves coordination from your brain’s cortical motor regions and muscular areas to execute the walking actions. It does not require gym subscriptions or well-maintained walking tracks. Walking 45 mins a day can help you eliminate all the toxicants your body was jammed with. You could purchase a treadmill or watch videos that portray the correct forms of a walk. It signals to your brain that some activity is being carried over, and hence it needs to be alert! You can also make use of the staircase- walk up and down as many times as possible. If you reside in a flat, try using the stairs instead of the elevator at times. Daily lifestyle changes, such as walking to the grocery store or beach walks, should be encouraged. 

Household Chores And Gardening

Yes! It’s indeed the right time for you to clear your closet or to dust out the corners of your house. While you perform these chores, you unknowingly make physical movements by bending, stretching, walking, and jumping (if this includes dusting your roof). Exercises are very much essential as we age. Your body needs physical activity and rest, and hence it is our utmost duty to nourish it with both aspects. 

Gardening is another exciting activity that serves two purposes; it nurtures your garden and keeps it healthy. While you are busy working, it lets you get rid of all the unwanted tensions you have in your mind and the physical movements that you make. Studies have suggested flowers and plants uplift an individual’s mood. And in such circumstances, it is the purest form of boosting our confidence in the most natural way. 

Sit And Stand Chair Exercise

As we age, normal functions like standing after sitting, initiating movements can be challenging. These minute situations sometimes drain our confidence around people. 

All you gotta do is grab on a sturdy chair. Make sure to support it against a wall to maintain its balance while you exercise. Now gently sit and while you rise, with a firm grip, balance your body well and sit again. Continue with this activity for some time until you are done for the day. This training can also be included as a warm-up exercise for the seniors as they begin their routine activity.  

Stationary Bicycling

Riding a stationary bicycle boosts your cardio stamina. Cardiac aerobic workouts such as cycling, running strengthen the vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and muscles. It can also help you lose weight by burning some of your body fat. Apart from these positives, it also strengthens your core and limb muscles, along with an increase in stamina. You can always purchase a stationary bicycle or maybe recycle one of your old bikes to make things work for you. Start pedaling for 10 minutes initially and then increase as you practice every day.