As much as we love the gym, it’s not always the best or most convenient option for exercising. There are many benefits to working out at home that are perfect for seniors to stay in shape. Here are some of the benefits to exercising at home.
Benefits:
- Flexibility | You can work out at any time on your own time.
- Go at your own pace | Working out in places like a gym can make you try to keep up with those around you. When you work out at home you can go at your own pace.
- Low impact exercises are perfect for seniors | Without all the big weights that are at the gym, at home you can do a lot of low impact exercises. Low impact exercises are better for older adults.
- You can focus on strengthening exercises while at home | There are many strengthening exercises that can be done at home making it the perfect place for a workout.
- Privacy | exercising can be harder when doing it in front of an audience, working out in the comfort of your own home can make the workout a lot less stressful and more enjoyable.
At-Home Exercises:
Arm raises
Arm raises are easy and beneficial exercises that can be done at home and at any time of the day. This can be done in a chair or standing and can be used with or without weights depending on the senior. This exercise helps strengthen the whole arm and improves range of motion.
Leg raises
This exercise improves leg strength while also improving balance which can be beneficial for seniors who are unsteady. Legs raises can be done in a chair or standing. Doing this exercise can also improve muscle mass in the legs and feet. This is a perfect exercise to do at home and super easy for a senior who wants a great leg workout.
Shoulder rolls
Shoulder rolls are a great workout for older adults. This workout is beneficial because it helps seniors be able to lift things. For best results roll your shoulders backwards and forwards.
Toe lifts
This is a great exercise to improve balance, strengthen the feet, and improve mobility. Toe lifts are an easy activity where the seniors can hold the back of a chair, lift on their toes, and then lower back down.
Spring Hills
“When seniors choose to exercise at home, they must focus on functional exercises. These are movements that involve training the body in activities performed during their daily lives” – Andre Gomez, VP of Home Care Operations
Strengthening Exercise Tips provided by Andre Gomez:
- Weight Bearing & multi joint exercises such as wall squats, lunges, step ups, and/or heel raises.
- Walking (uninterrupted) for up to 30 mins per day for cardiovascular strength
- Sit to stand chair exercises for quadriceps strength
- Sidestepping in kitchen counters for hip strength
- Wall push-ups for upper body strengthening
At Spring Hills Senior Communities, we recognize all the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of regular exercise for seniors. We offer a variety of programs that encourage exercise for our senior residents and patients to receive the recommended dosage of exercise, which is 150 minutes per week. This not only helps the members of our community’s maintain physical health, but also improve their overall quality of life while maintaining a sense of independence. We want our residents to not only feel and look healthy but also Live Happy.