The 10 Best Senior Exercises You Can Do at Home
As we age, prioritizing physical activity becomes increasingly crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. Research has shown the significance of staying active in older adulthood, as it can help prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, and certain cancers while also potentially delaying the onset of dementia. Given the importance of regular exercise, especially for seniors, integrating exercises at home is a convenient and effective way to promote a healthy lifestyle. Explore some indoor exercises tailored for older adults that can enable you to stay active in the comfort of your home.
Exploring the Best Exercises for Seniors at Home
There are many forms of exercise, and understanding which types are best suited for older adults can be challenging. When starting an exercise routine at home, there are various ways to incorporate healthy options catering to older adults, from improving strength and flexibility to enhancing balance and cardiovascular health. Let’s explore some of the best types of exercises for seniors at home to stay active and promote a healthy lifestyle. Of course, please remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Walking:
Regular walks and movement help to strengthen bones and muscles, maintain weight, and improve coordination. While taking a walk outdoors allows you to enjoy the beauty of nature, you can just as easily walk or dance indoors. Looking for a little bit of extra movement? Try walking in place while watching your favorite T.V. show or movie — this is just one simple way to stay active during your daily routine.
Balance Exercises:
You can do a majority of balance exercises from the comfort of your home. From yoga poses designed for balance to simply standing on your foot, balance exercises help you find your center of gravity and decrease your risk of falls. One exercise is a chair leg raise: sit in a chair with your spine straight and both feet directly under your knees. Slowly straighten your right leg, hold it in the air for a few seconds, and lower it back down. Repeat with your left leg. Perform as many sets as you feel comfortable doing, with about 10-20 repetitions each set.
Household Chores:
Not only are you gaining a clean house while doing chores, but you’re actually getting in a workout, too! Pushing and pulling the vacuum, wiping down counters and tables, and carrying your laundry basket all encourage your body to move and stay active. You’re not only promoting a comfortable living space, but you’re also promoting physical health.
10 Beginner Senior Exercises To Try at Home
Once cleared by a physician to engage in more physical activity, you can explore a range of effective exercises to promote health and well-being from the comfort of your home.
- Chair Squats: This exercise strengthens the lower body muscles. Stand in front of a sturdy chair with feet hip-width apart. Slowly lower yourself into a seated position, then stand back up, using the chair for support if needed.
- Leg Raises: Sit upright in a chair with feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg straight out in front of you, hold it briefly, then lower it back down. Repeat on the other leg. This exercise helps strengthen the leg muscles and improve balance.
- Wall Push-Ups: Stand facing a wall with arms extended and palms flat against the wall at shoulder height. Lower your body towards the wall by bending your elbows, then push back to the starting position. This exercise targets the chest, shoulders, and arms.
- Marching in Place: Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and march in place, lifting your knees as high as comfortable. Swing your arms naturally as you march. This exercise improves cardiovascular health and leg strength.
- Arm Raises: Sit or stand with arms at your sides. Slowly raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, then lower them back down. This exercise helps strengthen the shoulder muscles and improve the range of motion.
- Toe Taps: Sit on a chair with feet flat on the floor. Lift one foot off the floor and tap your toes on the ground in front of you, then return to the starting position. Alternate between feet. This exercise improves ankle mobility and leg strength.
- Standing Calf Raises: Stand behind a chair or counter for support. Lift your heels off the ground as high as possible, then lower them back down. This exercise targets the calf muscles and helps improve balance.
- Seated Leg Extensions: Sit upright in a chair with feet flat on the floor. Extend one leg straight out in front of you, hold it briefly, then lower it back down. Repeat with the other leg. This exercise strengthens the quadriceps muscles.
- Shoulder Rolls: Sit or stand with arms relaxed at your sides. Roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion for several repetitions, then reverse the motion and roll them backward. This exercise helps relieve tension in the shoulders and neck.
- Tai Chi or Yoga: Yoga exercises for seniors are specifically designed to promote flexibility, balance, and relaxation while improving overall physical and mental well-being.
Staying Active at Home with Springpoint Choice
Recognizing the uniqueness of each individual’s vision and evolving needs, Springpoint Choice ensures that every membership is designed to meet your goals for today and a lifetime. By offering a membership program that is convenient, affordable, and secure, this program serves as an innovative alternative to long-term care insurance or as a valuable complement to existing policies. With Springpoint Choice, members can effortlessly prepare for potential future care needs and ensure the security of their financial well-being. Enjoying the benefits of stability and peace of mind. In addition to Choice, Springpoint features the LivWell program, ensuring engagement in programs that fully optimize your health and well–being. With the LivWell program, we focus on the seven dimensions of wellness including physical, intellectual, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, and vocational needs.
Our commitment extends to guiding members through every stage of their retirement journey, providing assistance for any care requirements, and empowering them to live the lifestyles they desire, creating a worry-free path to a fulfilling retirement. Our personal care navigators provide invaluable guidance, evaluating both you and your home to ensure eligibility and comfort. When you’re ready to embark on this transformative journey, contact us today. Your future begins with Springpoint Choice.