Senior Fitness – How To Stay Fit When You’re Old

Wrinkly skin, grey or thinning hair, and joint pains — definite signs of old age. When you have all these, you are definitely in your senior years.

Well, besides physical changes, getting old means wisdom. The more years you spend on this earth means more experience. The things you have gone through are what defines you — those experiences make you wise.

Same age beautifully –– less wrinkles, arthritis-free and still steady on your feet. No canes or rehab needed. These are likely results of giving time to health and fitness… and beauty as well.

Now that you are old and probably (and hopefully) rich, you want to maximize the twilight years of life. You surely want to be fit enough to do exciting stuff. If there’s anything you need most in your senior years, it’s energy.

For those who forgot to pay attention to their health and fitness 40 years ago, it’s not yet too late to start — for most seniors.

Exercise is still a viable option for people with advanced ages. As long as they do them in a safe and controlled manner and with a professional senior fitness coach.

Here Are Simple Exercises You Can Do

Always start with simple and less complicated exercises to test your flexibility, cardio strength and balance.

Daily counting of steps – the goal is to have atleast 10,000 steps/day. But no need to rush things overnight, progress gradually and take things slowly. Let’s say a thousand on the first day, and so on and so forth until you’re incredibly doing the 10,000 steps/day.

Use a pedometer bracelet to help you count your steps.

Use the stairs – walk up and down at least 10 steps to build strength and balance. This will help you burn calories. If you have some kind of knee injury, start with the good knee and lead the bad leg.

Sit on a Chair  – by sitting tall with chest up and shoulders lean back on the chair, you will feel your stomach muscles tighten. This will boost your core strength.

Squat Exercises – this should be done with care as you will not know how far can you bend your bones and muscles. How to do this: stand straight and tall with feet a little apart, toes facing forward.

Spread both arms to balance yourself, then, slowly drop your hips while bending your knees. And if you can (without any pain), go down until you’re in a sitting position.

This can strengthen your leg muscles, and so will delay you of using a cane, a wheelchair or a walker.

Yoga

Yoga is a holistic approach to maintain a healthy mind and body.

Yoga poses maintain muscle softness and flexibility which both can improve balance and stability. It increases joint strength thus preventing any swelling.

It slows down ageing process by keeping your mind relaxed yet alert and awake, lessens depression and anxiety, and in effect, improves over-all emotional health. Yoga is an excellent outlet if you are grieving.

Aerobics

This is loved by senior citizens because of its physical and mental benefits. It is fun and exciting at the same time, as long as you’re doing it correctly.

This can maintain your fitness level, improve quality of life, and increase life expectancy. Plus, you can do this with a group of friends to improve motivation and create rewarding companionship which lessens depression and boredom.

Dancing

Dancing is an effective way to include into your weekly routine, or your aerobic sessions. This will add a little excitement if other exercises already bore you.