By Guest Blogger, Diana S.
Senior Living: Why and How You Should Stay Fit
Just because you’ve reached a mature age, that doesn’t mean you can’t stay fit. Granted, keeping fit as we grow older can present its own, unique set of challenges – we lose muscle mass, our mobility is lower, and our joints can become stiff. However, these problems can be overcome or worked around. Here are some of the best activities for seniors, and how they can help us be our best selves well into old age.
Why exercise matters
As we age, our bodies start facing new issues that just weren’t there when we were younger. Exercising can help address and alleviate these problems. Heart disease is one of the most prevalent illnesses that plague the modern man. There are many lifestyle aspects which can contribute to it, but our mostly sedentary lifestyle is one of the main culprits. Regular cardio training can help you avoid this serious health problem. Seniors often have to deal with poor balance and slow reaction times. This general lack of agility can be annoying in day to day life, and, in some situations, even downright dangerous. Exercising can also help us maintain healthy weight (or lose excess weight), build muscle mass (which is generally known to diminish with age), and improve our flexibility.
Take a dip
We Australians are blessed with so much coast that water sports are practically in our blood. Lucky for us that water sports are an amazing way to stay fit. They provide excellent cardio and build muscles. This is a low impact form of exercise that is ideal with people who have sensitive joints. If your joint issues are the result of arthritis, make sure you choose a pool with appropriate water temperature. Many senior communities in Australia, like the luxurious Mark Moran Vaucluse, have their own pool and offer activities such as swimming, aqua aerobics, or even water polo.
Relax with yoga
Yoga is an amazing choice because it supports both a healthy body and a healthy mind. It puts great focus on proper breathing, which can help your body with everything from stress relief to heart problems. Physically, yoga works on stretching and improving flexibility and balance. It’s ideal if you’re feeling stiff, or if you just don’t like very intense, sweaty work-outs. However, don’t be fooled. Yoga requires a lot of strength, focus, and skill. It’s best to start with a class for beginners and ease into the practice slowly. Before you start, explore what type of yoga is the right fit for you. Combining yoga with meditation and mindfulness practice, it can help you feel rejuvenated and fulfilled.
Improve your strength with weights
Lifting weights is not just for the young ones. Two weekly weight-lifting sessions can do wonders for your overall strength and muscle mass. It’s crucial, of course, to start slow, with lighter weights, and then gradually progress as your body adjusts. In time, you should reach the phase when you can do sets of up to fifteen repetitions. You can use classic weights, like dumbbells. But strength training is just as effective when using other methods, like resistance bands, or the machines at your gym. Remember to always get warmed up before you start, though! The last thing you want is to injure yourself.
When it comes to working out, it’s important to acknowledge the transformations our bodies are going through, and adapting our exercise regimen in a way that our changing bodies can handle. Staying active should be an essential part of the senior daily routine, since it adds to longevity and vitality. And always remember, even if you can only start small, it’s still a step in the right direction.
Tia, and TipsfromTia.com is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.