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The Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors
Exercise has many wonderful benefits for our physical health and our moods. No matter our age these benefits are especially important to all. For seniors it can help to slow down our aging. As we begin to age into our 40s our bodies begin to lose muscle mass. The loss of muscle mass can lead to loss of mobility. The reason for this is that our muscles in our bodies help to strengthen our bones. Without this, our bones also start to decline making it harder to support our bodies’ weight and limit our ability to move around on our own. Exercise helps to build back muscles that have started to deteriorate. Thus allowing seniors to gain back the strength they had started to lose and prevent the loss of mobility.
Improving and or prevention of muscle loss are not the only area where exercise can help improve the health and quality of life in a senior. As we get older, we start to either mellow out some or become more frustrated. Many seniors find themselves frustrated at their inability to do things that they use to do. Exercise is a proven way to improve ones mood and is beneficial to those who are finding themselves becoming frustrated often. Improving your mood is one way to help improve the quality of life, as being happy is one of the most sought after aspects we strive for. When you find yourself less stressful and less frustrated in life, you also reap healthy benefits as well.
Strokes and heart attacks can be brought on by high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be brought on by stress. When you lower your stress you will lower your blood pressure and thus lower your risks of a stroke or heart attack. Exercise can do all of this for you. That is why exercise is so important throughout life, especially so for seniors who already have nature working against them.
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To get the most from exercise seniors need to keep a good balance between all the types of exercise that they need. Aerobics, such as speed walking for 30 minutes five days a week, resistance exercises should be about eight to ten exercises two days a week, flexibility exercises should be performed for ten minutes two days a week and balance exercises should be performed a few minutes each day. For those that are unable to do certain exercises for health reasons, they should still do the exercises that they can physically and safely do. One day they may find they can do all of the recommended exercises when they have improved in other areas. The above balance is what they will want to work towards accomplishing. This is not where you start though. So only, do what you can and work from there. If you are only able to do 5 minutes of light aerobics, then the five minutes is your starting point. Do not worry about pushing yourself hard on this, take it slow and realize that every minute that you can do is still giving your body a healthy boost.Read the next Pets & The Elderly article on A Pet for your Elderly Parent