At any stage of life, staying active and working out pays great health dividends. Many diseases are connected to a sedentary lifestyle, or to a being overweight, and making sure that there’s some exercise in the life of your aging loved ones means that they will be more likely to live a longer, happier, and healthier life. Of course, working out and staying active are not the only keys, but they’re a good start. There also needs to be attention paid to things like diet and enjoying various things in moderation (like alcoholic beverages, for example).
As the older loved ones in your life age, they may find that it becomes a bit more difficult to remain active. There are people who manage to stay spry and active into their 90s, but these people are few and far between, and more realistically, staying active for seniors is going to mean taking part in low-impact activities that don’t stress the body too heavily. It’s also important that the elderly stay active; activity once or twice a month is not enough to show marked benefit, it needs to be something close to a thrice weekly event.
What are the benefits that such activities can impart to the elderly? Here are just a few:
- Exercise keeps you healthy. As we age, our bodies become less and less able to do physical labor. Muscles shrink, bone density can be impacted, and it leaves a body less capable of stress. Exercise keeps the muscles active and it ensures that the body will be able to handle such stress for longer.
- Exercise helps to manage weight. Being overweight or obese is connected to a wide variety of problems in anyone at any stage of life, but it can be much worse in the elderly. Diabetes related to being overweight, issues with blood pressure, strokes, heart attack, all of these problems can be attributed to being overweight. Being overweight can even be associated with gastrointestinal disorders and with higher incidences of certain cancers! Managing weight with the help of an active lifestyle and exercise is key to a long and healthy life.
- Exercise can help to prevent or delay the onset of disease. Studies show that those suffering from arthritis, diabetes, or various forms of heart disease benefit from regular activity and exercise. It can help prevent the worsening of symptoms, or even delay onset of more serious symptoms altogether.
- Exercise can improve the mood. Exercise releases endorphins into the body, which are known to brighten the mood. There’s also the sense of accomplishment that comes along with completing an exercise regimen, which can lead to an improved mood.
- Exercise can be fun! Not all exercise has to be boring. There are plenty of activities that those advanced in age can take part in that can be both fun and show health benefits as well as making the elderly feel a sense of pride.
As research continues on what the physical benefits of exercise are, we’re likely to get a better understanding of how exercise helps, but just from this list of benefits alone, it only makes sense that most people should be spending more time exercising. Help the elderly loved ones in your life to find exercises that they can enjoy, and you may be helping them to live a more fulfilling and longer life.