Exercise is important at any age, but it offers additional benefits for senior citizens: It can help prevent falls, preserve range of motion, prevent illness and assist in healthy brain function. Although exercise for senior citizens offers these benefits, it takes careful planning, as the execution of activities varies from those who are younger. While the goals of a 20 year-old may be to build muscle and have svelte waist line, the goals of a senior may be maintaining the muscle mass they have along with adequate blood flow. The way you plan these workouts is vital your senior's safety.
Step 1
Talk to her doctor about the exercise regimen. Before planning your senior's exercise routine, discuss with her doctor the activities she will be doing, and ask about any health conditions that may limit the exercises she can perform. The National Institute on Aging states most seniors are fine when participating in moderate activities. However, if she is at risk for any chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, or is obese, she may require her doctor's permission before increasing her level of physical activity.
Step 2
Write down his goals. Setting goals helps you and your senior choose activities that are comfortable and realistic. Consider a typical day and how much time is spent sitting or being active. During times of activity, write down his activity and how much time he spends performing this activity. If he spends 20 minutes a day walking, set a goal of walking 30 minutes a day within two weeks.
Step 3
Make time for four places of actual fitness. SeniorFitnessSite.com explains seniors need to begin workouts with the four places of fitness: stretching, endurance, strength and balance. Incorporate stretching to increase versatility, and prevent injury in case you fall, and endurance to increase increases heart rate such as biking or walking. This helps reduce stress and cholesterol. Incorporate strength to help maintain muscle mass, and balance which decreases the risk of falling. Plan your senior's workout around these four places.
Step 4
Set a schedule. For your senior to receive the most from his exercise routine, he needs to participate regularly. Set a schedule that works around any appointments he may have. Make exercise a social activity, involving any friends he has. Make times for breaks as well; If he is taking a 60 minute walk, make sure he takes a water bottle with him, and have him stop at 15 minute intervals for a 5 minute break if he feels it's necessary.
Step 5
Create an exercise plan for the mind. Seniors shouldn't just exercise their bodies, they should exercise their brains as well. The brain can change at any time, and researcher Dr. Maria Diamond reports that older brains have an advantage: They respond better to intellectual stimulation than younger brains. Take your senior on a day trip to a museum, or do a jigsaw puzzle with her. If she enjoys crossword or word search puzzles, make she she has plenty available.
Member Comments