Exercise Tips For Seniors

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Bonaventure Senior Living understands that exercising, as a senior can be a challenge. Retirement can be a major change for most people and it can be hard to get into an active routine and easy to become sedentary and stagnant. Further, aches, pains and problems caused by aging or arthritis can also make exercise difficult.

However, while exercise can seem like a burden, Bonaventure Senior Living wants to stress just how important exercise is. With 20.9 percent of Americans 60 and older suffering from diabetes and an estimated 84 percent of deaths in those 65 and over caused by heart disease, exercising is essential to living a long and healthy life.  Fortunately, these exercise tips from Bonaventure Senior Living can help you get your exercise program started and help you to keep it going.

Starting an Exercise Routine

Bonaventure Senior Living knows that the hardest part of exercising for seniors is the process of actually getting started and getting into a comfortable routine. These tips can help:

·         Get cleared by a doctor first. You never want to enter into an exercise routine that does damage to your body. Make sure you speak to your doctor about what your capabilities are and what you should and should not do before you begin any exercise routine.

·         Focus on diet as well as exercise. Exercising when you are overweight can be very difficult. Combining good nutrition with an exercise program can help you to lose weight and cut your risk of diabetes. Losing weight can also make the process of exercising easier.

·         Start slow: You aren't going to run a marathon the first time you try to exercise. Ease into an appropriate exercise program, beginning with exercising for just a few minutes at a time. Eventually, you should try to increase your program to 30 minutes or more of mild to moderate exercise, but if you have been sedentary for a while or are suffering from health problems, you may need to work up to this.

·         Choose something you enjoy. Bonaventure Senior Living believes that exercise doesn't have to be a chore. There are plenty of types of exercise from water aerobics to taking nature hikes that can keep your body in shape and be enjoyable at the same time.

Choosing the Right Type of Exercise

When you are starting your routine, remember that not every kind of exercise is appropriate for all seniors. Your doctor will help you to identify what is appropriate for you, but some examples of possible exercises that Bonaventure Senior Living can recommend to seniors include

·         Water exercise: Water aerobics, swimming laps or otherwise doing your exercise in the water can put less stress on aging joints.

·         Yoga or Pilates: A low-stress yoga or Pilates program can allow you to exercise and stretch to retain mobility without putting excess stress on your body.

·         Programs for those with limited mobility: Shows and videos like Sit and Fit are designed to cater to those who are no longer able to walk but who still want to remain healthy.

Bonaventure Senior Living knows that getting started with an exercise program is hard but choosing the right kind of exercise and following these tips can help you to keep your mind and body in top form as you age.