Introduction
In today’s world, physical activity and exercise are very important for physical well-being, good mental health and a healthy life. So, now is the right time for both young and old to start exercising and fitness. We should know about “Why is exercise important for seniors?“
Why is exercise important for seniors?
As seniors age, their organs and systems lose their ability to function. Their bodies are more likely to suffer from various long-term diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Regular exercise is essential to get rid of all these problems.
Physical activity helps maintain healthy blood pressure, prevents the build-up of harmful cholesterol in your arteries, improves blood sugar levels, strengthens bones and helps prevent depression. In addition, a regular exercise program can improve your quality of life, lead to better quality sleep, reduce the risk of some cancers and is associated with a longer life.
1 Aerobic exercise
Regular aerobic exercise can help reduce your risk of heart disease and respiratory problems. This helps keep your blood pressure and blood sugar levels in check. This exercise can help you stay active.
Aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure, burn body fat, and control blood sugar levels. Along with weight loss, it can also lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. In the long run, aerobic exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer, depression, and falls.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each day. Try classes like brisk walking, swimming, jogging, cycling, dancing, or step aerobics.
2 Strength Training
As we age, our muscles lose their ability to function. Strength training helps to reactivate them. Doing this exercise daily can boost your confidence and make you more motivated to work out.
This exercise strengthens your muscles and bones, lowers blood sugar, helps with weight control, improves balance and posture, and reduces stress and pain in the lower back and joints.
3 Stretching
Stretching helps maintain flexibility in the body. When we are young, our muscles are healthy, we often ignore it. But as we age, the flexibility of muscles and tendons decreases. Muscles become smaller and do not function properly. This increases the risk of muscle cramps and pain, muscle damage, strains, joint pain and falls as we age.
Aim for a program of stretching daily or at least three or four times a week.
As you age, your body’s ability to maintain balance gradually decreases. Most elderly people walk with a cane. You need to do balance exercises every day to get rid of this problem. By doing these exercises, you will feel stable on your feet and can prevent you from falling.
You can practice asana, pranayama and yoga in balance exercises. For this, you should enroll in a yoga class. A yoga teacher will teach you the right way to do it.
Conclusion
By doing physical activity or exercise every day, you can control your weight. Nowadays, most people are facing a lot of problems due to obesity. Exercise is the only way to solve this problem.
You can do any kind of physical activity according to your choice. It can be dancing, cycling, and climbing hills, jogging, running, brisk walking, asana and yoga. Doing it regularly keeps the body healthy and helps in controlling weight.
You also need to pay attention to your diet. You need to adjust your eating habits and reduce the amount of calories you eat and drink, until you are more physically active. A healthy diet along with regular physical activity can help you get to a healthy weight.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1 Why is exercise important for seniors?
Ans: Exercise helps to control blood pressure, lower the risks of falls, good mental conditions and serious injuries.
Q2 Which exercise is most anti-aging?
Ans Resistance training is most anti –aging. It can do after consultation with the doctor.
Q3 How often should seniors exercise?
Ans Seniors should do exercise daily/ weekly, according to their strength.