I hate to break this to you, my fellow seniors, but there is no getting around exercising. You just have to do it. No amount of sauna sweating sessions can help you achieve the full benefits of exercising, nor those designer exercise-replicating devices you see on TV. However, the beauty of exercising is that you don’t have to spend too much on anything and thinking of all those health benefits by taking the hard road should be enough to convince you that indeed exercising is still the easiest way to a healthy you!
I won’t enumerate the benefits anymore, let’s just say that exercising delays aging, inside and out. I have seen this happen and it is never too late to exercise. Why not start now?
I have listed below everyday exercises that are suitable for seniors. This can be done at home or just about anywhere so there’s no reason for you not to do them!
· Moderate endurance exercises or aerobics. These are activities done to increase your heart rate thus training your body to improve stamina and endurance. Endurance exercises are recommended to be done at least 30 minutes everyday. For this, seniors could join health clubs and aerobic sessions or if time doesn’t permit, brisk walking and running can achieve the same effect.
· Do some squats. Squats, when done properly will strengthen your lower body specifically your hips, glutes and thighs. That means a little tighter around your fanny too! Beware though as squats can get a little tricky so you should get someone to observe you while you do some squats or perhaps do it in front of a mirror so you could see if you are doing it right. Remember that your knees shouldn’t go pass your toes and your fanny should be sticking out. To help you achieve proper form, try doing first couple of squats on a chair.
· Lift weights above your head. Ideally, do this with a fitness instructor around but if there’s none, two identical-in-weight cans or plastic water bottles can do the trick. Above head lifts will give you upper body strength.
· Do bicep curls to improve your lifting ability. Bicep curls add definition to your arms thus preventing the saggy, wrinkly look. Also, training your bicep muscles will help you in lifting everyday objects like your suitcase or your week’s groceries.
· Leg raises to strengthen your lower back. While leg raise is an excellent way of strengthening your lower back, it helps improve your balance too. You can do leg raises sideways and backwards while standing or while lying on your side.
· Stretch whenever you can! Stretching helps your muscles unknot. It also improves blood circulation. Simple stretching routines performed periodically all throughout the day keeps everything inside you oiled and moving.