Senior mobility exercises often focus on aerobics and relaxed strength training. Exercises like cardio, Tai Chi, Yoga, and resistance band training will help seniors improve their strength, stability, and flexibility.
Exercising as we grow older becomes more and more difficult. According to the CDC, seniors and older adults need roughly 150 minutes of light exercise every week. Gentle exercise for seniors is a great way to start when it comes to hitting this tally.
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How can you find safe workouts for older adults to help you with staying active in assisted living? If you're curious about physical health and aging, we're here to help. Read on for a quick overview of gentle exercise for seniors.
When you begin looking for gentle exercise for seniors, the first category you'll always run into is aerobic exercise. But what is aerobic exercise, and how does it blend in with safe workouts for older adults?
Aerobic exercise is a style of exercise that focuses on continuous, rhythmic movements. According to the Cleveland Clinic, aerobic exercise is designed to use your large muscle groups in repetitive motions.
In essence, it's a form of exercise that contrasts with things like weightlifting and strength training. These exercises often focus on high-impact movements, whereas aerobic exercise is notably low-impact.
What does "low impact" mean? It means that these exercises won't put extra strain on your joints, bones, or muscles. That makes them safer for seniors who are more prone to harm.
Some common aerobic exercises include:
In short, aerobic exercises are low-impact workouts that seamlessly blend in with most senior mobility exercises.
What are some common exercise routines you'll see as a senior, and how do these workouts blend with strength training? It's important to have a variety of workouts, after all. If you only work out in one way, then you'll only have one "strength."
Instead, you should focus on a variety to provide you with whole-body wellness. It's also important to look at how exercising can impact your social life.
According to Michigan Medicine, roughly 1 in 3 seniors -- or a third of all adults aged 50-80 -- feel lonely or isolated in their advanced age. A great fix for that is to engage in these exercises with your community and neighbors.
Here are some of the best safe workouts for older adults, both alone and in groups.
Tai Chi is a style of meditative exercise that focuses on building your balance. Similar in intensity to yoga, Tai Chi instead focuses on fluid and steady, slow movements. That contrasts with yoga's focus on stationary poses.
Tai Chi is popular for staying active in assisted living because of how it helps improve your balance. Doing so helps lower your chance of a fall or injury.
It's also ideal for customization. If you find movements that you're unable to do, simply swap to a different one!
And as with many exercises, Tai Chi is easily done in a group. An instructor will lead the group through these gentle exercises. You can then practice safely alone.
Many seniors prefer to get their mobility exercises in the pool. Floating in water inherently reduces the stress and strain on our bodies.
Wellness routines for seniors and physical therapy both often use pools for this. You may tread water, or you may swim from end to end in the pool. As with many routines, this is exceptionally easy to customize.
Exercise doesn't always have to take place in a gym. There are plenty of outdoor activities that qualify as exercise.
You may go for a group nature walk, or you may go for an outing across the town. These exercises barely even feel like exercise, but they keep you active all the same.
Curious about what events are coming up? Browse our activity calendar to see what we have planned for our community!
It's always best to exercise in groups for safety, guidance, and socialization. However, many exercises are still safe to complete alone.
If you're exercising alone, we recommend sticking to low-intensity workouts. Yoga positions and Tai Chi are great for a solo workout. Avoid strength-training while alone.
Overall, though, it's best not to work out by yourself if you can avoid it. Working out alone makes it so that any mistakes you're making will stay ingrained since nobody is there to correct them.
Instead, take the time to find a local class or group. Your community likely offers these amenities!
Practice and guidance! As with all things, exercise will require you to practice it regularly over a long period of time before you begin to see the visible improvements. If you're struggling, taking the time to speak to an instructor will also help.
The most important thing is to stay patient and give yourself some grace. These exercises aren't easy, and doing them day in and day out won't be a breeze.
Allow yourself the time it takes to rest, recover, and continue. Don't try to rush progress; you may just find yourself injured instead.
Understanding gentle exercise for seniors means putting safety and security above all. Consider what exercises you can safely and easily complete and begin to build your workout regimen from there. Exercising in groups will help you with your goal of staying active in assisted living.
Here at Greenwood Place, we know that physical health and aging are two of the most crucial concerns. Our pet-friendly community focuses on developing personalized care plans so that you can focus your energy on living life to its fullest. Schedule a tour today to see how we can improve your golden years.