Importance of exercises for seniors


Posted September 8, 2021 by LivingsMaples

When it comes to being physically active (PA), scientists and experts agree that PA and exercises are beneficial for people of all ages, and seniors are not an exception.
 
In general, exercise is a subcategory of physical activity. Based on many scientific research findings, exercise can be considered a protective factor for chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancers. Besides, scientists confirm the positive correlation between exercises and mental health, retarding dementia, improving quality of life and well-being. With this in mind, this article tries to provide comprehensive information regarding the importance of exercise for seniors.

Importance of exercises for seniors from different points of views

Numerous studies have proved the beneficial effects of exercise on the physical and mental health of humans. In the following, we discuss these two noticeable effects of exegesis.

Importance of exercises from a physical point of view

Having a routine exercise plan can inevitably cause you to be healthier. Positive physical impacts of exercises are as follow:

Effectively maintain or lose weight

Our bodies' metabolisms slow down as we age, and it is more difficult to maintain a balanced weight. Fortunately, seniors can increase their metabolism and burn more calories through adopting appropriate exercise.


Improve cardiovascular and respiratory function

Regular exercise can improve lung function and reduce blood pressure, leading to a healthier cardiovascular system. Both healthy cardiovascular and respiratory systems armed us against possible invaders that may cause diseases in our bodies.

Regulate gastrointestinal performance

Lots of seniors may suffer from constipation or slow digestion. Lower body metabolism may lead to lower gastrointestinal function. A possible solution for those symptoms is exercise. To be more precise, exercise can increase body metabolism as well as increase the sense of thirst. Both of these are determinant factors to improve constipation symptoms. Additionally, the more exercise you do, the more calorie you burn, that combat slow digestion.

Prevent or delay chronic diseases

As mentioned above, exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular a respiratory disease (both classified as chronic diseases). On the other hand, adopting a regular exercise routine can minimize chronic disease symptoms like Parkinson's disease or dementia. The benefits of the exercise for those people are maintaining their balance and coordination and help them extend their functional independence.

Boost mobility, flexibility, and balance and reduce risks of falls

Exercise strengthens the muscles, bones, and joints. So, it is not surprising how it can be beneficial for your balance, coordination, and of course, risks of falls. Also, there is strong scientific evidence that strength training exercises can alleviate arthritis symptoms. Yoga and Pilates are two beneficial exercises for seniors with arthritis.

Importance of exercises from a mental point of view


Improves the quality of sleep

All people of all ages need to have a good quality sleep to maintain their overall health. By adopting exercise into your daily life, you can enjoy different sleep benefits it including: falling asleep faster, experiencing deep sleep, and consequently, feeling fresher and more energized the next morning.

Improve your mood and self-confidence

Different studies dedicated to the mental benefits of exercise show that workouts can significantly act as a stress-reliever tool. In addition, when you exercise, an endorphin hormone (also called feel-good hormone) release in your body and causes feeling happy and more satisfied. This hormone also reduces the feeling of sadness, depression and anxiety. Having a lower level of anxiety and a higher feeling of happiness will probably provide more self-confidence.

Enhance the brain and cognitive function

Although the more critical factors in the enhanced brain and cognitive functions are doing some activities like crossword puzzles, exercise can also be effective. Some exercises aid brain and cognitive functions through multitasking and creativity.

Social engagement

Fill leisure time for the elderly by joining group exercises has various benefits. Attending group exercises like fitness classes or simply walking groups causes you to enjoy physical/mental exercise benefits and social ties. Some of the important group exercise benefits for seniors are a lack of feeling loneliness (and depression) and a sense of purpose.


What is the best exercise for balance?

Maintaining balance may become a challenge for older adults as they age due to less strength in their muscles and bones. Falling is one of the significant causes of injury among senior citizens around the world. However, the good news is that you can prevent it and improve your balance through exercise. Here, we listed 14 exercises that improve your balance:

Single Limb Stance
Walking Heel to Toe
Rock the Boat
Clock Reach
Back Leg Raises
Single Limb Stance with Arm
Side Leg Raise
Balancing Wand
Wall Pushups
Marching in Place
Toe Lifts
Shoulder Rolls
Hand and Finger Exercises
Calf Stretches

Ideal senior exercise

As everyone knows, not all kinds of exercises are safe for seniors. However, it doesn’t mean that seniors with physical conditions can’t participate in physical activities. For instance, several movements have been specifically designed and categorized as wheelchair exercises for the elderly. Three main categories of safe exercises which seniors can adopt are listed as follow:

Aerobic and endurance exercises

Based on physician suggestions, seniors need a 30-min cardiorespiratory endurance exercise per day to elevate their heartbeat and speed up breathing. Some examples of cardio/endurance exercises are walking, stationary cycling and swimming. A piece of advice for people who just started a regular-based exercise and get tired sooner than others is to do three 10-min periods of exercise throughout the day.

These exercises enable the body to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to tissues and remove wastes during sustained periods. A noteworthy tip is the kinds of food you should eat before exercise to keep your energy balances. In this regard, a comprehensive article, “A guide on what to eat before workout for seniors,” provides more detailed information about the relationship between food and exercise, especially for older adults.


Strength and resistance training

This kind of exercise built and strengthen muscles through repetitive motions. You can do strength and resistance training on specialized equipment (like resistance bands and nautilus machines) or walls, floors or furniture. Seniors can enjoy the most excellent benefits of strength/resistance training three or two times a week. It is better to start with one or two sets of 10-15 repetitions at moderate intensity and progressively increase the weight or resistance level.

Strength and resistance training improve balance and reduces the risk of falls by empowering bone mass.

Stretching and flexibility exercises

Stretching is quite an important exercise since it helps the muscles warm up and cools down gradually. The other benefits of stretching are: reduces muscle soreness, improves flexibility, hinders injuries, etc. Two main kinds of Stretching workouts are Pilates and yoga. Both Pilates vs Yoga for seniors focus on developing a strong core, i.e., a set of muscles connecting the inner stomach to the lower back and spine. By strengthening these muscles, one gains a better posture and balance and reduces widespread muscle pain.

Conclusion

No one can deny the importance of exercise in young and older adults' lives. Regular exercise provides many benefits to seniors, both physically and mentally. In addition, there are several kinds of workouts that help seniors keep their balance and have good posture. This article provides a brief introduction of exercise benefits for older adults. It helps them to choose the appropriate kind of workouts.

Know more : https://livingmaples.com/mag/pilates-vs-yoga-for-seniors/
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Issued By Living Maples
Country United States
Categories Fitness , Health
Tags exercises for seniors , fitness tips , health tips
Last Updated September 8, 2021