For many elderly people simply leaving the house can be a challenge due to various health conditions and, in some cases, limited mobility visit Easypaymobility.co.uk for mobility assistance. This makes it difficult to follow any sort of structured exercise regime. But health and fitness experts recommend that those over the age of 65 get at least 150 minutes of exercise each day. So, given these challenges how is it possible to maintain fitness and lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle? Here are some essential tips to help older people engage in exercise within the comfort of their own homes to help their mobility.
The Importance of Warming Up
Even professional athletes recognize the importance of stretching before exercising. All you need is five minutes before the start of your scheduled exercise. Stretching will help your heart, lungs, and muscles ready themselves for more vigorous exercise. That five minutes of preparation can help you to avoid injuries that might take weeks to heal.
Here are some exercises that are ideal for those who have passed retirement age:
The first recommended exercise is as follows:
The Single Limb Stance
Take your stance behind a chair – take care not to use one with wheels.
Grasp the back of the chair
Lift your left foot and balance it on your right – and hold this stance for as long as you can.
Repeat with the right foot
Your aim is to maintain the stance for at least a minute with each foot – without the assistance of the chair for support and balance. However, take care not to rush things. Wait until you are confident you are ready before doing away with the chair. This exercise assists in maintaining a sense of balance – which is important for those in danger of ‘slip and fall’ accidents.
Classic Arm Curls
Arm curls have been part of many people’s chosen list of gym exercises for generations. It is simple, but effective in building strength in the upper arms. It is effective when performed either sitting down or standing. To substitute for dumbells use common household items such as cans of food or large bottles of soda.
The instructions for this highly effective exercise are simple. Hold your arms at your sides with a weight in each hand and slowly bend your elbows as you lift the weight towards your chest. Slowly lower your hands back to your sides and repeat the same action. You should start off with as many of these Curls as you are comfortable with – but increase that number over time.
Simple Marching Exercises
Marching helps maintain fitness and a productive lifestyle by being tremendously good at helping with balance, again absolutely essential for someone of advancing years due to the increase in the possibility of ‘slip and fall’ incidents. The routine is simple. Stand as straight as possible then lift one knee as high as it will go to achieve a right angle of the thigh to the floor. As with the previous exercise use a countertop or a chair until you are confident enough to do without. Again, as your confidence and strength grow, increase the number of repetitions.
Stretching
Although we previously mentioned stretching as part of preparations for an exercise session – it can be as valuable as part of the exercise routine. try to stretch daily for at least 15 minutes. You can do so either lying down on a semi-soft surface like a carpet or sitting down.
One of the most effective exercises for strengthening the quadriceps includes stretching. In this exercise, you will need to again stand behind a sturdy chair of the right height. With the chair in front of you, grasp it firmly with either the right or left hand. Then take the opposite leg (with the other hand) and grasp your foot around the ankle, pulling it towards your back. Once it is behind your back, hold that pose for 30 seconds. Then repeat with the other foot. This exercise is extremely effective at strengthening the lower body – and contributes to maintaining mobility.
This next exercise is ideal for maintaining and growing upper body strength. Stand straight with the fingers on your hands interlaced behind your back. Look straight ahead and pull your shoulders back. Then lift your hands upwards Toward the head) until you reach the 30-second mark. This will improve strength in the muscles of the upper back, arms, neck, and shoulders.
Slow Head Turns
As we get older our mobility is adversely affected. However, this neck exercise can help with the mobility of the head – one issue that doesn’t often get enough attention. To ensure that the head and neck remain mobile simply slowly and gently rock your head from side to side. At the end of each movement towards the right or left press, your head into your palm gently, but firmly and hold that position for 30 seconds. Ensure that your back is straight and that you maintain shoulder relaxation. This exercise is extremely effective at making activities such as driving easier. It also contributes to general comfort and therefore the quality of life.
Toe and Leg Lifts
Strengthening lower back and hip muscles is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body, well as coping with balance challenges. Once again take your chair and use it as a balancing aid. Life one leg outwards (towards the side) while ensuring that your back is straight. Maintain that pose and then bring the leg slowly back to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. Height is not the metric that is being measured. rather focus on holding the pose for longer.
Toe lifts may seem simple. However, they are an excellent way to nurture and maintain mobility. You can be either sitting or lying down for this exercise. Once you are in position curl your toes towards your shins. Then hold for 5 seconds. Once you are done then point your toes away from your angles and again hold this pose for 5 seconds. Repeat with the other foot.
The Importance of Daily Exercise for Older People
Getting healthy exercise on a daily basis is important for everyone. However, older people, as well as those with disabilities face sometimes immense challenges when it comes to enjoying the opportunity to exercise daily.
The truth is that we all need to find strategies to ensure that we are fit and healthy – this is especially true as we age. The above tips will provide a starting point for a daily fitness program. Always remember that fitness contributes directly to enjoying a sense of independence and freedom – and keeps you healthy mentally and physically.
As your fitness improves you will be able to enjoy more activities, more of the time, many of which may have seemed out of reach when you began the exercise journey.