Physical activity can help older adults maintain good mental and physical health, and making safety a top priority can help seniors avoid injuring themselves while exercising. It is always recommended that older adults must do exercise under the supervision of a personal trainer.
Let’s look into some of the exercise tips for older adults:
Instruction Must Be Followed
Exercise modifications for your elderly parent may be required to lower the risk of strains and accidents. However, modifying the movement entirely may pose a safety risk. When making changes to recommended workouts, consult with your loved one's doctor to learn which movements are appropriate for your loved one and which changes may increase the likelihood of an injury. Your loved one can work out safely at home with the assistance of a professional personal trainer.
Nutrition
Unlike growing children and young adults, older people do not require as many calories to function. As a result, many older adults do not consume as much as their younger individuals.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, this is especially evident in water consumption. However, when you are physically active, calories and hydration are important to help give your body energy and prevent dehydration. The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises drinking at least 64 ounces of noncaffeinated fluids per day. Before exercising, consume a protein-rich snack that also contains whole grains, such as peanut butter and crackers or a protein bar.
Don’t Over Exercise
Although the schedule your loved one adopts should be difficult, it should not be too demanding.
If your loved one overdoes it, he or she may strain a muscle or break a bone. Your parent should be aware of his or her body's limits and strive to stay within them. If your loved one feels overworked, consider reducing the intensity of the workouts until he or she is able to increase the intensity.
Don't Rush Yourself
The CDC's weekly 150-minute guideline may appear daunting, but it does not have to be completed all at once. Exercise in smaller increments of time will provide the same health benefits as long as your exercise is at least 10 minutes of medium activity. So, to conserve energy, ease up and implement three 10-minute small workouts into your day. Build up to a 20-minute or longer workout over time.
Pushing yourself too hard increases your risk of overuse injury. To stay healthy, increase your swimming, walking, or jogging mileage by no more than 10% each week.
Warming Up Is Important
Warming up and stretching before exercising can help reduce muscle soreness. During the warmup, your loved one's body temperature will rise and blood flow to the muscles will increase. It would also be beneficial if your parent took a break after exercising.
Choosing Exercise
Even though regular exercise is beneficial to seniors, not all types of exercise are appropriate.
Older adults who are new to exercise may not be ready for strenuous activities such as soccer, basketball, baseball, or running. If you have arthritis or other age-related joint pain, these can be especially taxing on your joints. Walking, swimming, biking on a flat surface, and yoga are low-impact activities that help you improve muscle and stamina without putting undue strain on your musculoskeletal system. Housework and gardening are both forms of physical activity.
The bottom line is to choose an exercise that you enjoy and are likely to stick with in the long run.
Always Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
To increase safety, your parent should always be aware of what is going on around him or her when exercising. An older adult with eyesight or hearing issues must avoid working out unless accompanied by a family caregiver or another healthy adult. A personal trainer can assist your loved one in avoiding collisions with objects and falling, both of which pose serious safety risks involved in cognitive decrease, memory problems, poor vision, and hearing loss.
Summing Up
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults require just as much exercise as younger people. Regular exercise can promote flexibility, reduce the risk of chronic illness, and help you maintain independent living as long as health problems do not prevent you from being physically active. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Take safety precautions when exercising, and consult your doctor if you haven't worked out in a long time.