Prince DeesePrince Deese, an All American Wrestler, a Hall of Fame Football Player, and a State Champion Body Builder, is a certified personal trainer and strength conditioning specialist. Prince Deese and Gina Deese own A.C.T. by Deese, a Fitness & Training Center in Greensboro, NC. Contact him at 336-617-5304.
We all know that regular exercise is key to healthy living. As one ages, so do our bodies. Over time, we find ourselves in need of changing requirements. But exercise is a must, more so for seniors and the elderly than any other age bracket. Those beyond fifty who make it a habit to exercise daily rarely depend on others to move around or get work done. This self-reliance has become more of a necessity especially that the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers on this year.
Heart conditions, osteoporosis, mental illnesses, and diabetes are common health problems found in seniors and can be addressed with exercise. Preventing disease becomes easier for the mature if they exercise regularly.
The following are several ideas to help you get back your groove and strengthen to maintain quality of life.
Water Aerobics. Water aerobics have earned a popular status as a form of exercise. Moving around exercising when in a pool, surrounded by water, is therapeutic and helpful to seniors with arthritis and joint pain of varying types and degrees.
Chair Yoga. Much like their water aerobics counterpart, chair yoga is a fairly easy form of exercise for the maturing adult. It helps with muscle strength improvement, fluid mobility, and bodily flexibility, all three of which are important for seniors. .
Resistance Band Exercise. Resistance bands are strips of a rubbery material that are super stretchable, enabling some resistance in one’s workouts. This form of exercise has grown rather popular in recent years due to the band’s portability and the convenience of the overall exercise. Moreover, the up-front costs of the bands are much cheaper than those of heavy workout machinery. These bands are ideal for exercising at home, in the park, or bringing your own to class to improve both the quality of life and adding convenience to your routine.
Pilates. Another low-impact exercise that is quite popular, Pilates has been around for well over a century. This form of workout involves and emphasizes breathing techniques, bodily alignment, concentration exercises, and strength and core workouts.
Walking. Walking is the least stressful and the most accessible of all exercises known to us. However, walking may not be the proverbial walk in the park for some seniors and can prove to be a challenge. This is why walking distance and steps vary from senior to senior. Generally, though, around 10 thousand steps daily are ample.
Machine Training. And the good news… many are returning to private machine workouts for strength and cardio exercise plans with the assistance of a personal trainer for guidance. Seniors should remain as active as possible, and these exercise ideas are sure to keep you that way to remain independent, strong and healthy.
Happy exercising!