The 3 Best Exercises for Senior Adults

To make sure that senior adults maintain a fit and vibrant lifestyle, exercise is crucial. While this holds true for most adults, exercise packs a lot of benefits for seniors who want to stay healthy. Exercises allow the elderly to stay physically fit and free to move. It will also help them become independent and free to do activities that they usually do for a longer period of time.

Even if the senior adults in your family already take advantage of home modifications and scooters, it’s important to ensure that they are still in good shape. Regular exercise will also allow them to feel more lively and motivated every day. If you’re wondering what the best kinds of exercises are for senior adults, those that fall into the following three workouts will guide you.

Aerobic exercises for Seniors

Cardio sessions are important to help seniors maintain a healthy heart. Besides this wonderful benefit, aerobic exercises also allows them to improve their joint movement and have more energy every day. The key is to choose an exercise with the right intensity that will really get their heart going, but also not cause overexertion.  

Most popular cardio exercises are still recommended for senior adults. Walking, jogging, cycling, and aerobics are great workouts to help keep their hearts healthy. Swimming and rowing can also be added to the mix. These are great ways to help them feel refreshed, allowing them to have fun and not letting them get burned out by their exercises. Just remember that high impact cardio exercises are not ideal for them.

Strength training

Doing exercises for both upper and lower body strength will help keep them agile for their age. Keeping their joints and muscles in shape and moving comfortably will also help prevent injuries. Just like with aerobics, moderate intensity workouts are also recommended. Just take note that deadlifting and free weight squats are no longer recommended for them.

Exercises as simple as bicep curls and shoulder shrugs will not only tone their arms – it will also help them maintain mobility in those limbs and strengthen the muscles used in those workouts. Just avoid dips and bench presses as these can cause shoulder injuries. For the back and the legs, something as simple as leg raises helps a lot. Focusing on functional movements will allow them to stay nimble in the years to come.

Balance exercises

Helping senior adults get better balance through exercise will help reduce the risk of falls, preventing injuries and broken bones. Balance exercises are very simple but offers an improved stability and overall strength for seniors. These workouts wouldn’t require much exertion from them, but will allow them to get great benefits.

Simple balance exercises can be toe stands. It starts with standing behind a chair, which will be used as support. While holding onto the backrest, slowly raise up to a tiptoe, hold that position for a moment, and slowly lower your heels to the floor again. Chair stands can also help with balance. Start by sitting on an armless chair, keeping the shoulders and back straight. Extend the arms parallel to the ground, then without using your hands, slowly stand up. These exercises help build muscle and improve balance in old age.

To help make sure seniors are safe and have it easier at home, you can still choose to go for home modifications. At Western Stairlifts, we can install lift chairs, stair lifts, walk-in tubs, and ramps for your home. You can talk to us and get a free evaluation! Simply call us on: 801-386-2408.