Exercise for seniors is an important part of daily life, and it can be a way to continue to keep the movement and flexibility that your body has for years to come. Not only does it provide great health for you, but it offers a way to continue to find great cardiovascular, mental and joint care improvements. The old saying goes, use it or lose it, and without some simple exercise each day, your body will be less than the healthy resource to keep up with your kids and your friends! After all, how can you Cruise the Caribbean without healthy joints, a happy mindset, and a lean physique?
Easy Exercise for Seniors
The best exercise for any time of life is by far, walking. It is the best way to enjoy life, and you will find good results with a walk each day. If you are not used to exercise, do not let this stop you. In any exercise initiative, the hardest part of the process is getting moving. It is the hardest challenge of all! If you do not find the time to exercise, you will find your mental mindset is often depressed, and discouraged. This is often why many people who do not exercise, never start. Find the guts and the true grit to just give walking a try. You do not have to walk far, but try to do at least 10 minutes a day. Get outside, breathe fresh air, feel the rain on your hands and face, or even a cheery bright ray of sunshine. Just by moving your joints and muscles, your mental mindset will be empowered to do more. When you do it everyday, you can add a motivation to your walking workout.
Motivation Exercise for Seniors
By adding a little more exercise to your daily routine, you can also make it a little bit harder. Add a waist weight to your workout. Add on a stretchy weight of 2 pounds to your waist, and walk to the store one day. When you get there, buy yourself a treat. Enjoy the time, and take your time. The motivation of a sugary ice cream or a salty bag of chips will make you happy. The extra exercise will mean you can do it, and not gain any weight, and then walk home with the knowledge that you are adding years to your life.
The motivation of ice cream and chips may sound silly, but it is a great way at the beginning to reward the pleasure centers in your brain, and keep you motivated. The extra steps, extra time can be hard when you are not receiving the pleasure from exercise. But just as your brain feels pleasure from the sugar and salt, you are sure to feel great with exercise, and this transition takes time. When the process is continued, the transition to just exercise each day begins and takes over. You won’t even want the ice cream when you get there.
Exercise for Seniors With Limited Mobility
What if you live in a remote area, and the walk to the store is not possible? Or, you simply cannot begin to walk, due to an injury or a limit to your mobility. You still can exercise! There are great chair exercises, where you can spend 5 minutes a day exercising with your arms in a seated position. Find a stable chair with strong arms, and seat yourself. Be sure to test your chair gingerly, to ensure it can hold your weight, and simply lift yourself out of the chair using your arms alone. Lift your body up and down, and then rest. Use the muscles in your arms to continue to raise the weight of your body up and down.
If you have exercise restrictions to your arms, while seated, lift your legs as far off the ground and hold them, and then release. Continue to move! Even if it is just five minutes a day, the key to a happy exercise program is to do it every day. Do not let your mind defeat you with excuses or complaints. As your exercise continues each day, your movement will improve and you will find that exercise for seniors does not have to be a marathon, but a daily quest for happiness.
