Not sure why elderly fitness is essential?
Regular exercise and physical activity should form a part of everyone’s lifestyle. There are many benefits associated with attending the gym and exercising in general. For example, exercise helps improve your body’s strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. It can also give you more energy and help prevent many health risks. However, movement becomes even more critical when we get older. Regular physical activity can help seniors improve their balance, mental health, and mood. This, in turn, can help seniors maintain their independence as they age. But these are just some of the benefits of exercise for older adults.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at four main benefits of exercise for seniors:
Prevents disease.
Regular physical activity can help prevent many serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis. This is because physical activity improves and boosts our immune functions, crucial for seniors who have compromised immune systems.
Exercise also strengthens your heart and improves blood circulation. This increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body, leading to a reduced risk of high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and even heart attacks.
In fact, according to the CDC, exercise can also prevent conditions like cancer, depression, anxiety, and dementia. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some time exercising every day – even a light exercise for a senior citizen like walking can keep your body healthy.
Improved mental health
There are many mental health benefits of daily exercise. Physical activity produces endorphins, a hormone that makes you feel less stressed and more content. Endorphins can boost your boost and energy levels.
Exercise can also help you develop better sleep patterns, crucial for older adults who might struggle with insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns.
Moreover, exercise can prevent the onset of depressive periods. According to a study conducted by the American Journal of Psychiatry, 12% of new depression cases could be prevented if the whole population exercised for at least one hour per week.
Additionally, another study conducted by the Anxiety and Depression journal found that physical activity can protect people from developing anxiety symptoms.
Decreased risks of falls
Older adults are more likely to experience falls, taking a long time to recover from. Moreover, falls can reduce someone’s ability to maintain independence. Fortunately, exercise can help seniors avoid the risk of a fall in the first place.
Physical activity improves your strength, flexibility, and in turn, your balance and coordination. Additionally, regular exercise can improve muscle strength, endurance, and the balancing ability in your lower limbs. These benefits can help reduce the chances of falling or losing your balance and hurting yourself.
Social engagement
Exercise doesn’t have to be limited to walking alone, jogging, or practicing yoga at home by yourself.
You can join a walking group, group fitness class at the gym, or even attend another group exercise activity like adult ballet or gardening. Whatever activity you choose – ensure you have fun!
Group exercise activities ensure older adults avoid feeling lonely or falling into depressive states. It’s also an excellent opportunity to build connections and relationships with people who have similar interests.
However, it can be incredibly daunting to go back to the gym if you haven’t exercised in years and are no longer familiar with the environment.
But don’t worry, there are friendly and non-intimidating gym spaces like Loggerhead Fitness.
At Loggerhead Fitness, you can exercise in a calm and productive environment that isn’t dominated by loud music and bright lights. Contact us today to start your elderly fitness journey!
