physical exercises for elderly people

Per nursing home Tyler TX professionals, maintaining an active lifestyle favors good health during every life stage. Studies have repeatedly shown that exercising, even in the case of seniors, helps to avoid various health issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even certain forms of cancer.

Here are five types of low impact exercise that keep you in good shape, even if you are not young anymore.

  1. Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is a real benefit for elderly people, keeping excess pounds at bay (when combined with adequate nutrition), lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, maintaining joints mobility, increasing the stamina and boosting the mood.

Start with light aerobic exercise, for about 10 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Gradually, increase their length to 30 minutes and take time to do them every day, or every two days.

  1. Squats

Strengthening muscles is very important for elderly people, because it helps them maintaining mobility and physical shape. Squats are the ideal solution to reach this goal.

Here is how you do them properly: take a solid chair with a high backrest and use it to place your hands on it, for support. This is helpful at least until you reach a better physical condition and improve your balance. Bend your knees until you get close to a sitting position. Maintain it for a few moments, then get up, breathe deeply, and resume. Repeat 10 times. When you gain more strength, you can take your hands of the chair, for an extra challenge.

  1. Dumbbell exercises

To strengthen the muscles of the upper body, you can use dumbbells. Stand up, holding a dumbbell in each hand, at the shoulder level, then raise your hands straight above your head. Repeat 10 times, in two rounds.

Alternatively, keep the hands down and lift the dumbbells laterally, to shoulder level. Repeat this exercise 10 times, in two rounds.

  1. Pushups

Regular pushups are an excellent exercise to strengthen the muscles of the arms, chest and shoulders . Unfortunately, as you get older, they may become more difficult to do, but pushups can be adjusted for different needs and you will still be able to enjoy all the benefits offered by the standard version.

Here is how: stand up against a wall, at a distance of about one arm, and slowly lean forward, palms pushed against the wall. Stay a few moments in that position and then return to the original position. Repeat 10 times, rest for a couple of minutes, and then make another set of 10.

  1. Foot lifting

This type of exercise offers countless benefits, from strengthening the thighs, hips, buttocks and lumbar muscles, to improving balance. In addition, they are very easy to do, even by seniors.

For this type of exercise, stay behind a chair with a high backrest and put your hands on it, to keep your balance. Raise one leg laterally, keeping your back straight. Maintain this posture for a few moments and then return to the initial position. Repeat 10 times and then change your leg and do the same exercise.