Exercising can be difficult for the elderly, and it can be challenging to try and be active every day. This is due to muscles becoming weaker, reduced mobility, and aches and pains or health conditions that can prevent elderly people from getting active.
However, it is vital for the elderly to do some form of physical activity every day. This helps to improve their health and reduce the risk of vital health problems occurring, for example, strokes or heart disease.
Whether you use a mobility aid, such as mobility scooters, have reduced mobility, or are looking for advice to start being more fit, these exercises to keep the elderly active will suit all fitness levels and abilities.
How do you start?
Getting fit can feel scary as you get older due to less mobility, health issues, or the risk of trips and falls. It is best to not over-exert yourself or jump into the deep end straight away, starting small is ideal. Build up your physical activity levels gradually and start with daily activities as many of these count as exercise.
Every step you take counts, even if it’s only a few here and there, because it’s more about small movements daily when you’re older. Some activities that are great to start on are:
- Standing up and stretching
- Doing housework or a little gardening
- Choosing a car park space that’s a little further from the entrance of a shop.
What exercise can you do?
As you get older, there are no set forms of exercise you can do. It all depends on fitness that works best for your abilities and that works your cardiovascular system the most. Choosing what exercise to do this way ensures that you keep your lungs, heart, and brain healthy. Below are a few different examples of what you could do to suit all fitness levels:
- Daily tasks in your home, great for less mobility
- Exercises at home, like chair-based exercises
- Sports like tennis or walking football
- Jogging or walking
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Joining a local physical activity group, such as a dance class.
Exercising when it’s difficult to
If you find it difficult to exercise, it can feel impossible to start daily activities to keep you fit. However, there are small ways you can keep active more.
If you have a health condition that prevents you from moving more, you can try and add a little movement to your days. To do this, it’s all about finding what works best for you, just keep in mind factors such as where and when you can get active, medical advice about exercise, and your condition’s symptoms.
If you struggle with limited mobility, there are a few ways you can try moving every day. Some small ways to incorporate movement could be:
- Standing without help- using a chair with no armrests, lean forward and try to stand.
- Do some gentle stretching- you could pull your toes up and stretch your legs until your knee is straight.
- Walk between rooms- if you are steadier on your feet, try walking between the rooms in your home daily for a few minutes.
How to stay strong
It is vital to strengthen your muscles as you get older as it helps to keep you mobile, flexible, and strengthens your bones. To stay strong try doing exercises that build muscle strength such as yoga, lifting weights, squats, wall push-ups, or crunches.
Other muscle-strengthening exercise examples are:
- Pilates
- Working with resistance bands
- Heavy gardening, such as shoveling
- Carrying heavy items, like shopping bags.
Ensure to choose muscle-building exercises that suit your physical abilities and don’t exert yourself, only do the amount of these exercises your body can handle.
Light activities
To help you determine what light activities entail, here are a few more examples. These are perfect if you have a health condition or limited mobility.
- Making a hot drink
- Walking slowly
- Standing up
- Vacuuming
- Cleaning
- Making your bed.
Moderate activities
If you have a little more mobility but still struggle with physical activity, there are moderate activities you can do to keep yourself fit. These are:
- Walking
- Hiking
- Pushing a lawn mower
- Water aerobics.
Intense activities
Intense activities aim to make you breathe hard and fast, working your cardiovascular system. These activities are ideal for those who have better mobility and good fitness levels. Each activity can be made intense by the level of effort you put in.
- Running
- Football
- Hiking up hills and rough terrain
- Martial arts
- Swimming.
Try some of these exercises to keep the elderly active and try to incorporate them daily to receive the health benefits and improve your health and mobility. Ensure to choose activities that best suit your fitness levels and don’t push yourself too hard to prevent over-exertion and injuries.
