Old age is inevitable but physical and mental degradation does not need to be an expected hazard of growing older. Regular exercise and maintaining an active and involved lifestyle can delay the onset of many degenerative conditions. Maintaining an exercise and nutrition lifestyle that is focused on your holistic health and well-being can help manage existing conditions as well.
Senior citizens may fear that exercise will exacerbate physical ills or that they do not have the strength to recover from injuries. But this comes from a lack of understanding about the right ways to exercise. There a dedicated home health services and even online apps that can guide you and prepare you to do moderate exercise.
The most important thing is willingness. There must be a determination and a desire to embrace a more active lifestyle. Many seniors deteriorate out of a sense of loss of mobility, usefulness, and lack of stimuli. A regular exercise routine can help them reclaim their sense of commitment to their well-being and give them something to feel excited about again.
Exercise is Crucial to Maintaining Positive Mental Health
There is so much misunderstanding about what it means to grow old that people can become quite depressed after moving into an aged care home or even after retiring. Depression knows no age limits, thus helping seniors to maintain a sense of mental balance is crucial.
Regular exercise will keep them active, involved in their community, and require them to go outside. These activities will help to dispel the mental fog of despair and help them to see that age does not equal getting slow or a lack of usefulness.
Exercise Improves Physical Health
It is always difficult to begin a fitness journey, no matter which age you may be when you start. But, the benefits of maintaining a regular exercise routine are plentiful. Senior citizens who commit to a regular fitness journey reduce their risk of chronic illnesses. They strengthen their musculature and improve their immune systems’ ability to fight disease.
They are also more likely to have better digestive systems and this can help to uplift their mood and keep them feeling healthy. Digestive issues can occur from lack of mobility and contribute a great deal to feelings of ill health and low mood.
Exercise is Beneficial to Weight
This may seem like an obvious statement, but it is in fact a very important factor in encouraging the elderly to exercise. Senior citizens are at greater risk of gaining unhealthy weight if they are not mobile. This is because the metabolism slows down with age and can lead to people gaining weight even without adding to their diet.
Proper fitness techniques and routine can help mitigate the effects of age-related weight gain. Exercises that focus on strength training will not only help to improve musculature but aid in adding on muscle mass. Muscle mass is necessary for stimulating the metabolism and burns calories to manage weight gain.
Exercise Benefits Bone Health
Bone health and maintaining bone strength are of particular importance to seniors citizens. Many inactive people have experienced serious complications from osteoporosis. Aged bones can easily become brittle and snap under very little duress.
Regular exercise can help to prevent this by focusing on improving bone strength. It can help to maintain bone density in addition to adding on to muscle strength. Muscles and bones working together are what will help senior citizens to maintain their strength and avoid debilitating falls.
Exercise Benefits the Cardiovascular System
It goes without saying that heart problems are associated with old age. Luckily, regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of health disease. It can positively improve cardiovascular health and help to maintain energy levels.
The important thing is to do exercises that are varied and designed to improve these systems. If a person has a family history of cardiovascular issues, pushing themselves too hard can end up exacerbating a possibly existing condition.
Cardio exercises, strength training, and building up stamina are good ways to maintain overall heart health. They are good for reducing the risk of existing heart conditions and maintaining a higher quality of living.
No matter what age a person is, living a sedentary lifestyle is a health risk. The human body is designed to keep up with an active lifestyle. It functions better when it is well-maintained.
Regular exercise is necessary to maintaining circadian rhythms and ensuring good sleep. It lowers stress levels and improves energy. Exercise reduces hypertension and blood pressure while ensuring that the body is better able to rest and recover.
The light strain of exercising under carefully controlled environments means that the body is better able to handle stress and unexpected strain. It gives back senior citizens control of their lives and their bodies, ensuring that they stay happy and healthy in their golden years.
