Physical Activities for Elderly People

No one can deny the fact that a person who exercises everyday is much more likely to be physically fit than those who lead sedentary lifestyles. This is especially true amongst the elderly. Researches have shown that if physical activities are undertaken on a regular basis, it reduces the risk factor for developing various kinds of serious diseases such as certain cancers and heart disease. Besides this, various lifestyle diseases, like obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, they are much lesser likely to occur in older people, if they take out an hour everyday to exercise. It has also been seen that effects of common old age problem of arthritis, in which the bones tend to become weak, can be minimized if a person undertakes elderly exercise activities, such as the ones suggested below.

Walking
This is the simplest and safest of all kinds of exercises. If you have never exercised before, start with walking for just five minutes initially and that too, at a slow pace. Based on your stamina, you can increase the duration as well as your pace. Walking ten thousand steps a day is what you should aim for as it is observed that people who undertake this much physical activity in a day, stay healthy and fit.

Cycling and Swimming
Cardiovascular exercises are a must to stay healthy and to ensure that there is no excess weight gain. So, you can take up cycling every morning or join a club and have a swimming session there, to beat the heat and to stay energetic and fit.

Weight Training
Weight training exercises can be performed by the elderly in their fifties and sixties. These should be undertaken thrice a week for about half an hour. When weight training in old age, a physical trainer is a must as he will design your exercise schedule in accordance to your fitness levels and age. Usually exercises such as leg press and squats for strengthening legs, upward cable cross, bench presses, skull crunches for chest and triceps, barbell shrugs, bench dumbbell shrugs for shoulders, amongst other exercises, are recommended for the elderly.

Stretching
Stretching each and every body part in slow, steady movements is a great way to maintain your flexibility. Stretching exercises should form a major part of your exercise regimen as they will help you stay active in your senior years.

Balance Exercises
These exercises build your leg muscles and thus, prevent you from experiencing falls and fractures. Elderly who undertake balance exercises on an everyday basis, are much lesser likely to suffer from disabilities which are often caused due to weak bones in old age.

Besides these exercises, there are a number of fun activities as well that can be carried out. For instance, gardening, watering the plants, weeding, etc. these are good physical exercises which keep the adults active and alert. Playing sports like golf, badminton and table tennis, dancing, fishing and boating, these are some other fun ideas for elderly activities. Making certain changes in one's daily living, such as climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking to the nearby market instead of driving or parking the car at one far end of the market and walking up to it, going out to purchase your newspaper instead of getting it delivered at home, walking your dog every morning and evening, all these elderly activities are good for enhancing the health.

Healthy Diet and Adequate Rest

For maintaining good health, along with the physical activities, eating a balanced diet is of utmost importance. A diet which provides you with all the essential nutrients and is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin D. Calcium and fiber intake should be increased in the elderly as both these are needed in older age for good health. Drinking adequate water and beverages like soup, non-fat milk, herbal teas and fresh fruit juices, will do seniors a lot of good.

Sleeping well and taking rest to recuperate and rejuvenate is essential for the elderly. Social activities such as meeting up with friends and family, will ward off feelings of loneliness, stress and depression. Taking up a part-time job or working for the underprivileged is a great way to maintain physical, emotional and mental well-being for the elderly.

Health conditions and diseases such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, depression and stress, arthritis, dementia and cancer are observed commonly in the elderly. To reduce their incidence, elderly adults should undertake exercises, diet and other measures suggested above. One last tip before I sign off - During old age, it's not necessary to undertake strenuous and long exercises, instead, a regular routine of moderate, low-impact exercises is much more effective.