The Best Home Workouts For Seniors
Now is the perfect time for seniors to start adding more activity to their daily routine. But seniors who live in areas where the weather is cold or snowy so they can’t walk or exercise outside need workouts that they can do at home. And those workouts need to be exercises that seniors can do even if they are not very fit or if they have physical challenges that make some exercises tough. Seniors who have help from an elder care provider may be able to do more challenging workouts because they have help. In general, the best home workouts for seniors are:
Walking
Seniors don’t have to go outside or to the gym to walk. There are DVDs and streaming videos that contain complete walking at home workouts where seniors walk in place or walk around the room. The walk at home workouts are led by a fitness instructor and can be done by any senior who can take steps. Walking at home is a fantastic way for seniors to start moving more and getting in better shape.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a type of martial art that is very gentle and helps seniors improve their flexibility and their balance. Tai Chi workouts are often done in parks or in green spaces when the weather is good because the psychology of the workout stresses being at peace with nature. But during the cold winter months Tai Chi can be done indoors through DVDs or streaming videos. Seniors also may want to sign up for a Tai Chi class at a local gym or senior center when the weather is better.
Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful activity for seniors. Yoga sequences that are designed for seniors can improve flexibility and balance while gently stretching all parts of the body. Yoga helps seniors keep their muscle strength without any strenuous or harmful aerobic activity. Seniors can take advantage of live streaming yoga classes or use DVDs with yoga workouts tailored to the needs of seniors. Seniors who are doing yoga at home also can use props like foam blocks, stretching bands, and help from elder care provider to make sure that they are doing the poses correctly. In yoga the emphasis is on making sure the poses are done correctly rather than on how many repetitions are done. Seniors can start slowly and build up their workout as their strength, flexibility, and endurance improves.
Strength Training
Strength training workouts are a fantastic way for seniors to keep their muscles strong. Seniors don’t even need to use weights to do strength training. Strength training exercises can be done using their own bodyweight as resistance. Because seniors have individual needs and health challenges it’s a good idea for seniors to talk with a personal trainer before starting strength training. A personal trainer can build a unique set of strength training exercises for each senior so that they are doing exercises that won’t hurt them.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Colts Neck, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 888-492-3538 or 732-566-1112.
