Exercise for Seniors

Senior exercise is an essential component to a healthy lifestyle for older adults. It is important to strike a balance between beneficial exercise for seniors and not overdoing it. It’s also important to be willing to incorporate exercise into the daily routine. It can be a trying cycle: A senior adult in pain from an injury, surgery or chronic illness will benefit from exercise, yet the exercise can initially cause more pain.

Benefits of Exercise for Seniors

Exercise for seniors has many health advantages including building bone density, gaining agility and confidence, and helping improve mental acuity. Exercise can also help combat depression and anxiety. Research as shown that regular exercise lowers the risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and even some forms of cancer.

As if those weren’t enough exercise helps improve immunity, manage chronic pain, as well as help lose or maintain weight. The benefits of regular, moderate exercise are really quite extraordinary and perhaps the most surprising thing is that an older adult can benefit from starting an exercise regime at any age. It’s never too late to start a healthy habit.

Recommendations for Senior Fitness Exercise

Getting started on an exercise routine can be the hardest part. Experts recommend picking an activity you enjoy and incorporating the exercise into the daily routine. It can help to make it social and get friends and family involved, too. For example, meeting a group of friends to walk a few laps at the mall can be a fun routine that can be done all year.

First, consult your physician to help you craft an appropriate exercise plan. There are exercise classes specifically designed for seniors at the local community center, health center or YMCA. Exercises seniors might try include swimming, walking, water aerobics, yoga and tai chi. Always start slow and make it fun. Also, eating a healthy diet and getting regular check-ups, including hearing and sight , will help a senior reap all the benefits of exercise.