Fitness For Seniors … Some Ideas That Work!

By Alan on Aug 11 in Blog tagged clearance, diet, exercise, fitness, holistic regime, mecical clearance, medical, mental, mental robustness, regular schedule, right exercise, schedule, seniors, work | 2 Comments

Fitness For Seniors … Some Ideas That Work!

One thing for sure, fitness at any age is an important and a achievable goal or habit. Being physically active and mentally sound also leads to an overall improvement in quality of life. With a few simple fitness and exercise tips, senior citizens can maintain their overall health and enjoy the feeling of wellness. What follows are some fitness for seniors ideas:

Start with medical clearance

 It is important to start with a visit to your doctor. Factors like existing medical conditions or ailments like an arthritic knee should be addressed before embarking on a fitness regime. A doctor will be able to tell you how to deal with high blood pressure and other age related ailments and recommend certain exercises too.

Keep a regular schedule

 Commit to working out every day and for a specific duration of time. Regardless of the workout regime, you should undertake physical exercise every day and for a sustained amount of time. So if your chosen type of workout is walking in the park then walk for at least 30 minutes every morning or evening.

Choosing the right exercise

 Choose your exercises carefully.

Try and keep in mind that fitness goals at a certain age are more about maintaining an active lifestyle than achieving a goal like a particular waist size or 6-pack abs.

It is always better to choose “gentler” exercises like walking, yoga, Tai Chi and even Chi Gung.

These exercise forms are known to be gentle on the knees and joints which are vital requirements for senior citizens.

 Strength training is also important for seniors, so choose to do a manageable level of weights through the week.

Doing weights 3 times a week is beneficial for the body. This kind of strength training gives the muscles enough time to recuperate and get stronger too.

Holistic regime

Seniors need to have a holistic regime in terms of workouts. Aspects like cardio, strength, posture and balance and flexibility are important. So your exercise and fitness regime should give you an opportunity to do all of them. Include stretches, weights, light aerobics, resistance training and Pilates help you with all the above. You can also include chair based exercises to help with fitness goals. You can sit on a chair and flex your ankles, knee lifts and even neck rotations to help with staying fit.

Diet

 A balanced, holistic and nutritious diet is hugely important for senior fitness. Drink plenty of water too. Choose foods that are easy to digest and light on the stomach so that your digestive process is not overloaded!

 Mental robustness

 Ageing gracefully is all about your ability to deal with life’s vagaries. As a senior, you may be facing extra challenges of ageing. Staying active mentally and emotionally is also very important. Activities like discovering new hobbies, making new friends, solving crossword puzzles, gardening, meditation and reading are all conducive to stay mentally and emotionally robust.

 Overall fitness therefore is all about physical, mental and emotional balance. So, the next birthday don’t forget to commit yourself to stay fit because the older you get the harder it is to begin: its now in your hands to lead the rest of your life happy, strong and fit.

Marguerite Boyer
For The Family