Tips to Stay Active and Healthy for Seniors

Often, we assume that once we reach a ‘certain age,’ we should not be as proactive about our fitness as in our younger years. Why worry about eating right and exercising at this age? Isn’t it time to relax and enjoy your Golden Years in peace? In reality, you or your aging loved one will get more enjoyment from life by staying fit while growing older. There are many benefits of staying active and healthy at any age, and even more so in senior years. For example, you improve your balance which helps reduce your risk of falling and injuring yourself. Exercise is beneficial to the brain for warding off cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Last but not the least, the healthier you are, the longer you can remain in your home, even with the assistance of a home health care assistant.

4 Easy Tips for Seniors to Stay Active

There are different levels of aerobic and strengthening activities that help your body remain in tip-top shape as you age.
If you are unsure of the difference, think of it this way – aerobic activities are continuous movements that make you breathe deeply and feel warm, like pushing a lawn mower or taking a dance class. While strengthening activities focus on your muscles through lifting weights or yoga.
Both groups of activities are vital to your overall health. Aerobic exercises can be done in different levels of exertion, including light, moderate, and vigorous. Not many people realize it, but a leisurely swim or a brisk walk is an excellent aerobic activity! Strengthening activities make your muscles and bones work together to grow stronger.
You can get yourself into a better state of wellness and remain active when you start with these tips:

1. Start Slow. If you are currently sedentary, you do not want to jump into a vigorous routine right away. Instead, start slow with 10 minutes at a time for a couple of days a week. Then build up to 2.5 hours per week of aerobic activity and additional strengthening activities twice a week.
2. Listen to Your Body. Before you start any workout, you should check in with your health care provider. After getting the okay, remember to listen to what your body is telling you because it will let you know if you are overdoing it.
3. Every Step Counts. Find ways to keep active and moving even when you are not purposefully exercising. For example, walk wherever you can, take the stairs, and carry your groceries home.
4. Make Active Time Social Time. Isolation is common among senior citizens. Instead of exercising alone, find a friend to join you on a walk or in an exercise class. You will benefit both on the physical and social levels.

Stay Healthy with Help from Home Instead

Embrace your health at a new level when you incorporate physical activities to strengthen your heart, lungs, bones, and muscles. Do you need a walking companion or someone to oversee your lightweight cardio routine? A professional CAREGiver from Home Instead Kitchener-Waterloo, ON may be precisely what you are looking for. Our staff is trained to assist you in accomplishing many daily tasks to help you develop better health overall. We offer a variety of home care services to meet you or your aging loved one’s unique needs.

Call us at (519) 571-1665 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver, every day, to families in Kitchener-Waterloo, Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira, St Jacobs, and surrounding areas