Elderly Workout

So you are all set to enter a regular exercise routine! Your doctor has approved and you can’t wait to get fit and healthy. Here is one important thing you should remember, if you set realistic goals then only can you succeed.

Do you know what 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can do for you? It eases arthritis aches, maintains bone mass, acts as a sleep aid and keeps the mind more vigilant.

Keeping our hearts healthy is especially important for us seniors. Cardiovascular exercises, which increase heart rate, keep our hearts in shape. Regular exercise has also been shown to lower blood pressure, freeing our heart from some of the effort in moving blood through our system.

There is one crucial thing every senior should keep in mind. It’s never too late to begin a fitness schedule. You are never too old to exercise and make your life healthier and more enjoyable. However you have to make a slow gradual beginning. Starting slow with your fitness program means that even before embarking on any training program, it is worthwhile to first have a complete medical check up. Such an appointment is especially important if you have been sedentary for a period of time, or have current injuries and/or hereditary medical conditions.

One of the major problems in following an exercise routine is to stay motivated. We are all aware that regular exercise can do wonders for the body. It helps in management of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, burn unnecessary fat, assist with blood sugar levels, promote bone density, keep the immune system in check, and improve mood by preventing depression.

There are activities that you enjoyed doing when you were young. However you think since you have aged these are not for you anymore. But this is where you are wrong many seniors are rediscovering old sports and activities which they once enjoyed and can be done with their current bodies. The agility and range of motion which scares seniors out of doing activities, which they once relished, does not have to be an issue if you respect the limits of your current self and take your sport little by little. These are the three topmost activities that most seniors enjoy:

Gardening is not a mere outdoor recreational activity. It connects us with nature and helps us to create something beautiful. While gardening, not only do we work our body, we soothe our senses and spirit. In the words of Thomas Jefferson “No occupation is as delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. I am still devoted to the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener."

Exercising is a trauma when joints refuse to cooperate and it becomes a test of enduring pain. This happens when arthritis attacks the joints and most of us deal with it by keeping it still that is by being inactive. This is not a solution it can lead to a weakening of the muscles and tendons and a stiffening of joints.

Age does affect the mind in some ways. We don’t remember every details of an event, we are less alert and we do suffer from some loss of memory. Very often we encounter these ‘senior moments’ which are nothing but lapses in our memory.

Don’t be afraid when you see someone stretching over a stability ball. With little effort it is very easy to master the stability ball. It not only helps stretching and exercising it also helps to maintain balance.

Some seniors feel they are feeble or too old to begin an exercise routine. However exercising is vital for them to stay fit and healthy. Staying active will prevent them for diseases and improve certain health conditions they might have. Low impact exercises can provide just as many health benefits for seniors as other types of exercise can.