Best Exercises to Help Reduce Elderly Health Issues

Senior citizens do need to exercise. Yes, some of them have health issues that prevent them from doing intense exercises. However, doing some daily or regular exercises can significantly improve or, at the very least, help to maintain your elderly loved one’s health.

As a family caregiver, it is a good idea to learn about the best exercises to help reduce elderly health issues. By doing this, you can get the information needed to assist your elderly loved one in creating and sticking to an exercise plan. As always, consult with your senior’s doctor before beginning any exercise plan.

Doing Cardio

Senior citizens need to have some cardio in their exercise plan. Some of the best cardio exercises for the elderly include:

• Brisk walks
• Tennis
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Jogging
• Biking

Each of these exercises can help to build your elderly loved one’s endurance. There are variations of each of these exercises, so that even beginners can do them. If needed, you or 24-hour home care providers can help your elderly loved one to find cardio exercises that are safe for them.

Adding in Flexibility Exercises

Your elderly loved one should be doing flexibility exercises regularly, as well. There are many senior citizens who feel tense all the time. They have tightened muscles that make it tough for them to move around. If your elderly loved one is dealing with this issue, adding in flexibility exercises to their workout plan can help a great deal. With this being said, it would be a good idea for you and/or 24-hour home care providers to be with your elderly loved one when they do these exercises. That way, you can help them be more stable when working out.

Strength-Based Workouts

Since bone loss is so common for senior citizens, it would also be a great idea for your elderly loved one to do some strength-based workouts. These workouts can build their muscle mass and slow down or even prevent some bone loss, too. Some of the best options for these exercises are:

• Lifting light weights
• Doing wall push-ups

If your elderly loved one hasn’t been doing these exercises, someone should be with them when they get used to doing them.

Conclusion

These are some of the best exercises to help reduce elderly health issues. As a family caregiver, now that you know about these options, you can assist your elderly loved one in creating an exercise plan that works for their lifestyle. If needed, you can have home care providers stay with your elderly loved one when they exercise, just to help ensure their safety during workouts.

Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/preserve-your-muscle-mass
https://medlineplus.gov/exerciseforolderadults.html