The primary reason why older adults become hospitalized is due to falls from lower body extremity weakness. Preserving muscle strength is very important in the elderly population and can be accomplished with low impact exercises like cycling, yoga, pilates, dancing, physical therapy and horticulture therapies like gardening and yard work. It is known that low impact exercises reduce the amount of stress placed on the joints of your knees, hips, and ankles. This prevents muscle weakness which can lead to fatal falls that account for 30-40% of older adult’s injuries. Therefore, keeping your muscles strong and reducing the amount of muscle loss as you age is very important. Here are some benefits of low impact exercise.
Ultimately regular exercise will help prevent various health concerns that seniors face, such as heart disease and diabetes. This also supports continued mobility by improving body strength, flexibility, and balance. Despite what so many believe, there are a variety of exercises available tailored to the capabilities of seniors, designed to support both balance and strength. When participating in a fitness class at one of our facilities, exercise also becomes an excellent avenue to stay social and connected with others. All clients can participate in a variety of exercise opportunities, including:
- Senior Chair ExercisesÂ
- Yoga & Tai Chi For SeniorsÂ
- Stretching Exercises For Seniors
- Walking Exercises For Seniors
The mental and emotional benefits of exercise are also important. When exercising, endorphins are released; these elevate mood and promote confidence, crucial for maintaining happiness and independence among senior citizens. Yoga and Tai Chi revolve around a series of low impact, slow, deliberate movements and are suitable for just about every fitness level. Both activities improve balance and flexibility – not to mention posture, but have also been shown to have positive effects on memory and concentration. For this reason, daily low impact exercises can aid in achieving a plethora of benefits for memory care seniors.
At Spring Hills Senior Communities, we recognize all of 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 clients to receive the recommended dosage of exercise, which is 150 minutes per week. This not only helps the members of our community maintain physical health, but also improve their overall quality of life while maintaining a sense of independence. To learn more about our Signature Programs, contact us.Â