Top 7 Exercises for the Elderly 

04 Nov Top 7 Exercises for the Elderly 

Before you launch into an exercise regimen, it’s important to check with a physician to ensure you’re healthy enough for exercise, and to see which exercises are ideal for your current fitness level, courtesy of new online casino.

1. Water aerobics

In the past years, water aerobics have become an extremely popular form of exercise among all ages, but in particular to seniors. Exercising in the water is ideal for those living with arthritis and other forms of joint pain, as the buoyancy of the water puts less stress on your joints. Additionally, water brings natural resistance, which eliminates the need for weights in strength training. Water aerobics exercises improve your strength, flexibility, and balance with minimal stress on your body.

2. Chair yoga

Like water aerobics, chair yoga is a low-impact form of exercise that improves muscle strength, mobility, balance and flexibility, all of which are crucial health aspects for seniors. Chair yoga is an accessible form of yoga that provides less stress on muscles, joints, and bones than more conventional forms of yoga. As an added bonus, chair yoga has been shown to improve mental health in older adults. Regular chair yoga participants have better quality sleep, lower instances of depression, and report a general sense of well-being.

3. Resistance band workouts

Resistance bands are stretchy strips of rubber that add resistance to workouts with reduced stress on your body. Resistance band workouts are user-friendly, and accessible for beginners. This form of exercise is growing more popular among seniors because of the relatively cheap up-front costs of materials, which makes resistance band workouts ideal for at-home exercise. Additionally, these exercises are ideal for strengthening your core, which improves posture, mobility, and balance, which will also improve your gaming experience at USA best payout casino.

4. Pilates

Pilates is a popular low-impact form of exercise that was developed a century ago. In pilates exercises, breathing, alignment, concentration and core strength are emphasized, and typically involves mats, pilates balls, and other inflated accessories to help build strength without the stress of higher-impact exercises. Pilates has been shown to improve balance, develop core strength and increase flexibility in older adults.

5. Walking

One of the least stressful and accessible forms of exercise is walking. For some seniors, walking is a bigger challenge than others, so distance and step goals differ from person to person. For the general population, 10,000 steps per day is advised for a healthy lifestyle, but those with difficulty walking or joint pain may settle for a smaller number as a goal. A PLOS One study found that walking 10,000 steps lowered the ten-year outlook for mortality by 46%. Walking promotes a healthy lifestyle, while strengthening muscles, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer.

6. Dead bugs

Dead bugs are a great way to hit the core in a low-impact way without overstraining your body and joints. For this core exercise, lie down flat on your back. Ensure your shoulders and low back remain flat on the floor. Next, lift your hands above your shoulders. Then, lift your legs and bend your knees, with your knees over your hips at a 90-degree angle. Exhale, engaging the core, as you slowly lower your opposite arm and leg (left leg and right arm), hovering them above the floor. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side (right leg and left arm). 

7. Glute bridge

A senior-friendly exercise, the glute bridge targets the glutes, hitting the quads and hamstrings as well. To perform this exercise, start by lying down flat on your back. Next, place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Ensure your feet aren’t placed too far away or too close to your butt. Place your arms flat on the floor at your sides. Drive your hips up by pressing down through your heels to create a straight line through your shoulders, hips and knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Slowly return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.