Exercise At Home To Keep The Elderly Safe

Regular physical activity can improve the quality of life as our loved ones age. It has been proven time after time that exercise keeps our body, mind, and heart strong.

Regular physical activity can improve the quality of life as our loved ones age.

It has been proven time after time that exercise keeps our body, mind, and heart strong. It also helps increase strength, which becomes very important as we age. As we get older, our strength and balance decreases, but having a workout routine can help counteract the natural deterioration of our body. Although not everyone loves to hit the gym hard, there are other alternatives to working out such as swimming, biking, and yoga, all in the comfort of your own home. As when any physical activity, consult your doctor before starting any regimen.

In order to gain the many benefits of exercise such as weight loss, increased stability, better heart health, and stronger bones, it is important that you enjoy what you are doing. Here are a few tips to help you achieve your goals while doing something you love.

• First determine what type of physical activity you truly enjoy and can manage to do multiple times on a weekly basis. This determination should many times be based on what you have in your own home to use. Do you have a home pool? How about a stationary bike or treadmill? A stretch mat?
• Start slow – don’t overwork yourself the first day. It will cause extreme soreness and will likely detract from your enjoyment and willingness to continue the activity; slowly increase length of time and intensity.
• Be sure to document your progress. Goals are achieved when they are set in advance. Record your efforts and watch how things change. This will give you motivation to continue and strive to reach new goals once the initial goals are met.
• Remember to practice good breathing habits while exercising. Yoga can many times help achieve good breathing patterns while strengthening core muscles, stretching ligaments and building stability, which becomes increasing important as we age.

Finally, if you do decide that home workouts are your best bet, be sure to invest in a medical alert system from LifeFone in case of an emergency. This will help to relieve stress and allow you to continue your active lifestyle while gaining the benefits of exercising at home on a regular basis.