What Types of Exercise Does Your Senior Need?
When you and your senior first start discussing exercise, you might think there’s not much to it beyond just getting active. But the different types of exercise make a big difference for her. Finding activities that fit into each of these categories gives her a well-rounded exercise plan.
Cardio Workouts
Cardio workouts get your senior’s big muscles going. Those are muscles like the ones in her legs and in her arms and shoulders. The other muscles that get a workout with cardio are her heart and her lungs. These are exercises that get her blood seriously pumping and that can give her huge benefits. Walking is cardio, as is swimming and riding a bike.
Workouts for Balance
Balance workouts are going to help your elderly family member to improve her balance. This is vital because she might be able to avoid a fall if she can develop better balance. Yoga is a balancing workout, because the exercises usually involve spending some time using core muscles.
Stretching Workouts
But it’s not just balance that can help your elderly family member to avoid a fall. Stretching exercises allow her to keep her joints limber and ready to accept her movements. If your senior starts to stretch regularly, she can even improve her range of motion in some of her joints. Stretching workouts can be incredibly helpful if your elderly family member has arthritis or other problems with her joints and muscles.
Workouts that Build Strength
Your senior naturally loses muscle tone over time. The problem with that is if she’s not doing anything to maintain her existing muscle, she’ll become incredibly weak over time. Even light weightlifting can help your elderly family member to maintain the muscles she has now. She might even find herself building back some of the muscle she’s lost recently.
Keeping Her Moving
Once your senior starts a new exercise program, it’s important to keep her motivated. Remind her about her goals and let her move at her own pace. It might help to make sure she’s got an exercise buddy. If that can’t be you, elder care providers can fill in. Having a reward system can also help to keep her motivated. Whatever works is something you’ll want to stick with for the long run.
Your senior’s doctor can make sure that she’s safe to exercise, so it’s important to have that conversation before you start lining up workouts.
