Physical activity and workouts for elders

Movement is a vital life force, but despite its undeniable benefits, many elderly people avoid it because of fear of overloading. With the years, inevitably, organs in the body undergo a change: muscle mass and vital functions diminish, and measures to restore the balance have to be taken. Lack of physical activity leads not only to muscular atrophy but also to fatal consequences that trigger multiple illnesses and reduced mental activity. The main benefits of sports for this group of people are associated with increased muscle strength and endurance, which in turn means reducing the risk of chronic ailments and maintaining good mental health.

The training program for the elderly is specific and should include three types of exercise

• aerobic exercise - stimulate blood circulation and general benevolence
• Strength training - Improves muscle mass, strength and endurance
• workout to develop flexibility and balance - reduce the risk of falls and injuries

Experts recommend older people to practice day-to-day exercises lasting at least 15 minutes. They should be of moderate intensity, smoothly executed and without unnecessary load. Systemic physical exercises are extremely important because they help maintain strong muscles and healthy bones. The load must be tailored to the individual's personal abilities and illnesses. In order to avoid overloading and injuries, the exercises should be light and gradually increase their workload and duration.

Here are some workouts for strength and resilience

Sit on a comfortable chair with a backrest with your hands-free around the body. By breathing, slowly start lifting your arms until they reach the level above your head. Exhale slowly and slowly lower your hands down. Repeat 5 times

Another effective exercise is once again sitting on a chair to slowly turn your shoulders in a circle up, back and down. The same move is done with the other hand. Repeat 5 times.

One more workout is to get up and start marching in place, raising your knees as high as you can. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

If you need to improve your balance and resilience, here's an idea

Stand straight, using the backrest of a chair in front of you and grasp it by slowly lifting your fingers. Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position again. Repeat 8 times.
With age, the body loses muscle mass, and the vestibular apparatus also does not work as efficiently as needed. It is the loss of balance coupled with the weak muscle mass that is the main cause of falls and various injuries in adults.

In order to prevent accidents, it is of paramount importance to practise exercises that improve balance, increase mobility and traffic safety

Here are some ideas for this:

Stand on one leg and balance in this position as long as possible. If you can stay in this position for at least 1 minute, you can further complicate your workout by trying to balance one leg by placing your hand on your chest. Repeat the exercise with both feet.

Another Balancing Workout: Choose a solid foundation - a chair, a desk, a table, and stand behind it. Lift on your fingers and keep your balance for a minimum of 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise 5 times.

Another group of effective exercises are to improve the functions of the vestibular apparatus

Hang in an upright position near a wall or countertop, which, if you stumble, you can grasp. Move your heel of one of the legs in front of your other fingers. Then put your hind leg in front. Exercise is performed slowly and smoothly, as you should strive for balance. Do at least 20 steps this way.

Another group of exercises aims to increase the flexibility of the body

They are appropriate and useful for the elderly because they are stretching in their essence. Their daily practice improves the strength and flexibility of the tendons and improves the lubrication of the joints that, when immobilized, worsen their condition. Here are some useful ideas for stretching:

Sit on the floor and spread your legs apart. Then bend your body forward slightly, holding your back upright without lifting your feet off the floor. When performing, you should feel the stretching of the back and leg muscles.

Sit with crossed legs on the floor and wring your fingers over your head. Then bend your head forward, you must feel a stretch in the neck area.

This exercise is for lateral stretching: Sit back on the floor with crossed legs, lift your right hand and lift it as far as possible to the left over your head while tilting your body in the same direction. You can put your other hand on your waist for more support. It is important that the shoulders should be kept down.

If you are not a supporter of training, it is advisable to carry out daily physical activity, no matter what kind it is. Its varieties are varied - gardening, housework, walk in the park, climbing stairs, etc. Each systemic movement increases the endurance of the heart and improves its functions. In this way, normal body mobility is maintained and muscles are protected from degradation.

Of course, it is important to clarify that before you choose to run a training program, it is good to get in touch with your treating physician who knows your health and can give you recommendations for the proper physical workload.

Whether you choose to exercise, sport or you will focus on another kind of activity, movement is life! Maintaining good shape not only reduces the risk of developing and also can cause serious illness but also leads to good mental health, clear mind and active social life.