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Tag: Exercise

Six Tips to Help Seniors Stay Active All Year Long

Posted on by ltcep2023

Staying active is a huge part of helping seniors to stay healthy and vital as they grow older. Once seniors become more physically active, they need to keep going. But when the weather is bad or during the winter it’s all too easy for seniors to back off of being more physically active. Home care assistance can offer seniors a lot of support in their goal to stay active all year long.

Find Indoor Exercise Options

Indoor exercise options mean that seniors can stick with their workout plans no matter what is going on outside. This could mean joining fitness classes, enjoying workout videos at home, or using a home gym on a daily basis. Working out inside means that there’s a climate-controlled environment. If seniors are working out at home, they don’t have to worry about getting to another location at all. Also, it’s important for seniors to talk with their doctors about what exercise options are healthiest for them.

Explore More Low-impact Activities

Sometimes the weather wouldn’t keep seniors from exercising, but it does something else, like cause discomfort in joints, that makes exercising more difficult. That means that it’s also a good idea to ensure that exercises are low-impact and support complications seniors might encounter. Activities like walking, yoga, Pilates, and more can all offer serious benefits for seniors.

Emphasize Strength Training

As seniors age, they lose muscle tone gradually. It’s really important to slow muscle loss as much as possible and strength training can help seniors to do this. This can be as simple as using resistance training or bodyweight exercises to maintain and build muscles.

Prioritize Balance and Flexibility

Another common problem is that seniors lose flexibility and balance over time. Both of these skills help to prevent falls, so it’s important to improve them as much as possible. Some of the exercises that can help to build strength can also help with both balance and flexibility. Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and more can all be great options.

Find a Fitness Buddy

Working out with someone else can be tremendously motivating for seniors. It can also help to serve as a distraction for seniors who don’t like to exercise. This fitness buddy could be a friend, a family member, or even senior care providers. Having that layer of companionship ensures that seniors stick with their exercise routine and that they meet their socializing needs at the same time.

Set Realistic Goals

When fitness goals aren’t realistic, they’re really difficult to meet. The right goal is going to help seniors stay motivated and consistent, even when they can’t get outside to get that workout in. Starting out with smaller goals can help seniors to build up their stamina as well as the mindset around working out on a daily basis.

Staying active all year long is tremendously helpful for aging adults. Home care assistance can offer support that seniors need in order to keep working out, even when the weather outside doesn’t support being physically active. The key is finding activities that feel good and that move the needle toward being healthier.

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in San Ramon, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

How Seniors Can Make Daily Exercise Fun

Posted on by Craig Bass

Exercise is one of the most important things that seniors can do to protect their health as they get older. Seniors need exercise to maintain physical health and to prevent future health problems. When seniors exercise daily they are also more likely to retain their mobility as they get older.

Doctors recommend that seniors get at least 30 minutes of moderate to brisk activity for a minimum of five days per week. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for seniors who really don’t like exercise it can feel like a lot. When seniors are trying to lose weight or just trying to protect their health they know that exercise is important. But that doesn’t mean they want to do it.

Because exercise is vital for a senior’s health it can help if seniors find exercise fun. When seniors are doing something they enjoy it won’t seem like something they have to do. It will seem like something they want to do. Some things that seniors can do to make daily exercise more fun are:

Dance, Dance, Dance

Dancing is great cardiovascular exercise and it’s a lot of fun. Seniors who have home care can ask their provider to make a playlist of dance party songs. A mix of music from different eras and different styles can make a dance party lively. And seniors can even have theme dance parties and get dressed up in costume to make exercise something really special. A 70s disco dance party or a musical sing along dance party with costumes will make exercise something to look forward to.

Outdoor Walks and Nature Exploration

Seniors who have limited mobility or just don’t find exercise to be fun may enjoy hiking or going for outdoor walks. Spending time in nature has a lot of physical and mental health benefits for seniors. When seniors take walks in nature parks, gardens, or scenic trails the beauty of nature and the fresh air can make exercise exhilarating.

Water Exercises

Swimming or water aerobics are excellent options for seniors, particularly those with joint pain or mobility issues. Water workouts are low-impact and appropriate for almost any seniors. But they also are a great way to work on strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. Many community centers and senior living facilities offer aquatic exercise classes designed specifically for older adults.

Fitness Classes

Joining fitness classes tailored to seniors can be a fun way to exercise and socialize. These classes may include yoga, tai chi, Pilates, or senior-specific aerobics. When seniors join fitness classes they can try out activities they’ve wanted to try but never had the opportunity to try.

Goal-Oriented Challenges

Exercise that is based on goal achievement can motivate seniors to exercise and give them a sense of accomplishment when they hit their goal. Gamifying exercise or making it like a game where they win if they achieve their goals can appeal to seniors who have a competitive streak.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm
https://ncoa.org/article/the-life-changing-benefits-of-exercise-after-60
https://familydoctor.org/exercise-seniors/

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Orinda, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

4 Benefits Seniors Get From Walking Everyday

Posted on by Craig Bass
In-Home Care in San Ramon CA
In-Home Care in San Ramon CA

Seniors need exercise. Study after study shows that consistent movement can make a huge difference in the health of seniors as they get older. Walking is one of the best things that seniors can do because it can be adapted to suit the needs of almost any senior. Seniors who have no mobility challenges can walk fast, challenge themselves to hikes, or enjoy long daily walks that include a variety of terrain. Seniors that have mobility challenges or have old injuries that limits their movements can walk around the block or take short walks through the neighborhood and still get the benefits of walking. Fast or slow, long distance or short, smooth pavement or hiking trails none of that matters. Walking is good for seniors no matter how they do it. Some of the biggest benefits of walking for seniors are:

Weight Loss

Seniors that need to lose some weight can lose weight walking. It’s not necessary for seniors to go through extreme workouts or push their bodies into long periods of exercise to lose weight. Making smart dietary choices and walking every day can be enough to help seniors lose weight. It helps if seniors have in-home care so that they get help cooking healthy meals and shopping for healthy food. But seniors can lose weight by walking.

Better Sleep

Another benefit that comes from daily walking is better sleep. There are millions of seniors that struggle with insomnia and poor sleep. Often seniors have anxiety at night or suffer from anxiety. But daily walks can help seniors reduce their stress levels. And physical exercise is a great way to correct the body’s Circadian rhythm so that seniors are tired at night and will sleep better. Within a walk of starting regular walks many seniors report being able to fall asleep faster and staying asleep longer than they did when they weren’t walking.

Stronger Core Muscles

Walking is great exercise for the legs, but it also works the core muscles and the arms and shoulders too, especially if seniors wear hand weights or pump their arms while they walk. Increasing core strength will help seniors move more easily, breathe deeper, and hold themselves up better. Increasing core strength is something that many doctors recommend but ab workouts can be difficult for seniors. Walking is really a full body exercise without the stress and struggle of a strenuous workout.

Better Mental Health

Getting outdoors into the fresh air every day can significantly improve a senior’s mental health. Seniors with in-home care who are able to walk daily while a care provider helps with the household chores report lower rates of depression and anxiety than seniors who don’t walk regularly. Being outdoors in nature can be very healing and lower stress. Seniors who can handle walking on an unpaved trail can enjoy big mental health benefits from hiking as well as the physical benefits. Encourage your senior parent to go hiking for their health.

If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in San Ramon, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

4 Fun Ways Seniors Can Move Every Day

Posted on by Craig Bass
In-Home Care in Danville CA
In-Home Care in Danville CA

April is Move More month and it’s a great time for seniors to focus on moving more every day. Doctors say that the single best thing that seniors can do to stay healthy as they get older is move more. And more activity doesn’t have to mean doing hard workouts. Seniors can set small manageable goals to start adding extra activity into their day and still get the massive health benefits of daily exercise. When it comes to exercise any movement is good movement. Here are a few ways that seniors can start adding more movement and activity to their everyday life, and how in-home care can help.

Walk Around The Block After Breakfast

A super easy way to increase activity and move more is for seniors to just take a quick walk around the block before or after breakfast. A walk around the block just takes a few minutes but it will improve circulation and get seniors moving before they start taking on the day. An in-home care provider can walk with your senior on a daily basis and offer physical support as well as encouragement. Even just a 10-15 minute walk around the block can dramatically improve a senior’s health when it’s done every day.

Park At The Furthest Parking Spot When Running Errands

Another way that seniors can rack up more steps and get more activity is to park their cars in the furthest spot from the door when they run errands. That extra walk to the door will add up to lots of additional steps and that will help seniors stay healthy. After doing that a few times seniors won’t even really notice that they’re walking extra far to get to the door. But they will definitely notice that their health improves doing it.

Set Up Some Yard Games

Spring is coming so why not set up some fun yard games? Take advantage of the back yard and play some spring and summer yard games with family members, neighbors, or an in-home care provider. Pickleball is a very popular backyard game. So are horseshoes, bocci ball, or your senior loved one can set up a mini-golfing course in the backyard so they can practice their golfing. Playing in the backyard is an easy way to get moving everyday and it will also give seniors a reason to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

Do Some Volunteer Work

Seniors can volunteer for organizations where their volunteer work will encourage them to move. For example, seniors may want ot volunteer for the local humane society where they can walk dogs, play with puppies, or help feed the cats and other animals. They also may want to work with kids which would require them to be active and engaging with the kids. There are so many great volunteer opportunities out there that any senior should be able to find a volunteer role they would really enjoy.

If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Danville, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.