Regardless of how old we are, one must include some form of exercise or activity in his/her daily routine. Exercising regularly not only helps in burning calories and maintaining a healthy weight but also ensures sound mental health.
However, as you get older, you are likely to experience more health issues like obesity, diabetes, and even dementia in many cases. With time our body tends to get weaker and becomes frail. Older adults experience a decline in their stamina and strength and find it difficult to carry out strenuous exercises. But at the same time, doctors advise that older adults should not stop performing any kind of exercise as it helps with a number of age-related health issues.
Studies have found that exercise helped older adults in keeping heart diseases at bay and effectively cut the risk of diabetes. Moreover, it has also been observed that older adults who regularly exercised experienced less knee pain than others.
Now as going to the gym and lifting heavy weights wouldn’t be that wise for older people, there are certain exercises that specifically work on improving the strength, stamina, and agility of an individual.
Wall pushup
If you are struggling to perform a pushup on the floor as it requires more strength, you can also opt for an alternative. Wall pushups are not as effective as a normal pushup but are good for a slow start as they also work your chest, shoulders and back muscles. Just stand about 3 feet from the wall and lean on it with your hands flat on the wall. Now, do the pushup as you do on the floor and repeat it 8 times.
Balancing
With declining strength levels and stamina, one more thing that bothers older adults is the poor body balance. Incorporating some simple yet effective exercise in your daily routine can bring significant improvement in your balance. Try balancing on one leg for a few seconds and then switch to the other leg. You can also try shifting weight from one leg to another by leaning to your side.
Stretching
Stretching is one of the most crucial parts of an active lifestyle and it gets even more important in old age when your muscles get stiffer. It is advisable to stretch your muscles before you dive into a workout as it warms up the muscles. One can stretch their shoulder and back by bending the left arm and raising it to the chest level. Then put your right hand on your left elbow and pull your left arm gently across the chest.
Core strength
Apart from working different muscle groups of your body through exercises, it is also important that you focus on core strength. One can improve the core strength using simple exercises like a tightrope walk. For this, just focus on a point on the floor and walk in a straight line. As you lift your foot each time, pause for a few seconds in the position and then repeat.
Abdominal exercise
A simple exercise like abdominal contractions can effectively strengthen your abdominal muscles. For this, just lay down while facing the ceiling and take deep breaths. Try to focus on your abdominal muscles and tighten them up. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then release. You can repeat it for 8 to 10 times.
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