Exercise is a beautiful and fulfilling way to maintain physical and mental health during old age. It’s one of many activities that can ease senior anxiety, too. According to the Centers for Disease Control, exercise helps reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It also helps seniors manage the symptoms caused by arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and other chronic conditions. Unfortunately, studies show that most people over 60 live sedentary lifestyles and do not prioritize exercise.

Fortunately, no senior needs to go to the gym, buy expensive equipment, or do strenuous exercise for hours to improve their health. Seniors can significantly improve their health, strength, and stamina, all from the comfort of their own homes.

Making 30 minutes of gentle exercise a part of daily routine can do the following:

1. Prevent heart disease by improving cardiovascular health.
2. Increase flexibility, muscle strength, and balance, which helps seniors avoid falls.
3. Improve mental health to maintain a positive mood and outlook.
4. Help seniors maintain the functional ability for everyday routines.
5. Help seniors maintain a healthy and regular sleep cycle.

Consider sharing these at-home, accessible exercises with your loved ones or trying them out yourself to boost overall health and prioritize safely aging in place at home:

1. Walking: Walking is simple, requires no equipment, and can help seniors hang out with friends while staying healthy. Walk around indoors or head outside for a stroll.
2. Stretching: Stretching helps seniors keep their full range of motion in their joints. This helps them go about their daily activities and complete tasks, like bending down to tie a shoe or reaching to get a dish from the cupboard. Consider stretching specific muscle groups, such as arms, shoulders, quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings.
3. Yoga: Yoga is an exercise that combines both stretching and muscle toning. This low-impact workout can help seniors build strength and improve balance. You can do yoga at home or in a studio. Participating in mind-body activities like yoga, tai chi, and dance effectively prevent falls for seniors.
4. Light Weights: Not all those who lift weights need to be huge, muscular gym goers. With a few light weights, seniors can perform strength training to keep muscle, improve balance, and increase stamina. Consider upper-body exercises like bicep curls and shoulder raises, as well as lower-body exercises like squats, leg raises, and lunges.
5. Chair Exercises: If you or a loved one struggles with balance, the body can still gain strength while sitting down. Seniors can still exercise their upper body with light weights while sitting in a chair. Strengthen legs while sitting down with knee lifts, heel raises, and toe taps.

Call Marquette Home Care Today

Finding engaging activities and establishing exercise routines can be challenging for seniors. Marquette Home Care provides in-house senior care in the Upper Peninsula, including companionship, assisting in exercise routines, and daily living for senior clients in the Marquette area. Our services span Marquette, MI, including Negaunee, Ishpeming, Harvey, Skandia, and Gwinn. Trust our team to provide your senior family members with compassionate and individualized in-home care. See our FAQ page to learn more about our services, or contact us at 906-361-8022 today.