13 Best Exercises For Seniors With Instructions

Exercise plays a significant role in everyone’s life. Apart from taking a well-balanced diet, engaging in some form of physical activity is essential. Most seniors today are looking for the best physical activities to keep them healthy and physically fit. These seniors can’t participate in any exercises you think of since their bodies have had changes that make them slightly weaker and slower. Exercises present many excellent benefits to seniors, including improving balance, providing more energy, promoting independence, preventing disease, promoting weight loss, and improving brain function. The seniors have a wide range of exercises to help them stay healthy and happy. Below are 13 best exercises for seniors with instructions:

1. Water aerobics

This is among the best exercises for seniors that have been in existence for many years. It has recently become popular even with younger people and provides many benefits to the body. Water aerobics generally involves exercising in water. This helps seniors with conditions like arthritis and other body pains. Water buoyancy doesn’t stress the seniors’ joints at all. Furthermore, water promotes natural resistance, thus eliminating the need for strength training weights. The primary role of water aerobics is to improve balance, flexibility, and overall body strength with minimal effort. Some of the best water aerobics exercises are arm curls, aqua jogging, leg lifts, flutter kicking, and standing water push-ups.

2. Walking

Walking is an excellent exercise for seniors that doesn’t involve a lot of activities. How long seniors will walk will vary from one person to another, and the general ability of the body. According to research, seniors need around 10,000 steps every day to stay healthy. However, those with mobility problems such as joint pain can do lesser steps. Walking reduces the risk of life-threatening conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke and strengthens muscles.

3. Resistant band workouts

Some older adults prefer resistant band workouts since they don’t strain the body too much. This form of exercise is excellent even for seniors who are beginning to work out. The most common reason why most seniors prefer resistant band workouts is that the upfront costs involved are more affordable and can be easily done at home. Resistant band workouts help improve posture, balance, mobility and strengthen the core. Some of the best resistance band workouts for the elderly are bicep curl, leg press, lateral raise, band pull apart, and triceps press.

4. Squats

These are effective exercises for seniors that help promote balance. Many people mainly consider them since no equipment is required. To get started, one must slowly lower himself to a semi-sitting position repeatedly. The back, in this case, should remain straight while holding hands in front.

5. Pilates

This is another low-impact exercise for seniors with a long history. The exercise emphasizes core strength, breathing, concentration, and alignment. To get started, you need pilates balls, mats, and inflated accessories. Pilates help to improve flexibility, balance and strengthen the core. Seniors can choose between different pilates exercises, including steps up, mermaid movement, leg circle, food slides, and side circle.

6. Swimming

Seniors can also consider swimming to stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle. Swimming doesn’t strain their joints and is ideal for seniors with osteoporosis and arthritis. Seniors new to swimming can consider joining aqua aerobics classes to gain some swimming skills.

7. Dumbell strength training

This exercise helps alleviate symptoms of various health conditions in seniors, such as back pain, diabetes, depression, and osteoporosis. Dumbell strength training also improves metabolism and controls blood sugar. To perfectly perform this exercise, seniors need a trainer. Some of the workouts here are front raise, bicep curl, bent over row, and overhead press.

8. Chair yoga

This low-impact exercise for seniors helps improve balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and mobility. Most seniors require all these aspects for healthy living since they reduce dependency. Chair yoga doesn’t strain the seniors’ bones, muscles, and joints, as in the case of most other yoga options. Studies also show that chair yoga plays a significant role in improving mental health in seniors. A recent survey has also linked chair yoga with improved sleep among the elderly, thus lowering depression and improving overall well-being. Some of the best chair yoga exercises for the elderly are seated twist, overhead stretch, seated cat stretch, seated cow stretch, and seated mountain pose.

9. Arm weights

Arm weights are strength training exercises. It helps promote stronger arms and upper back muscles among seniors. Additionally, the exercise also improves posture. To get started, one has to sit or stand while holding the weights near the shoulders and repeatedly lifting them up and down.

10. Stationary cycling

This is an aerobic form of exercise for seniors. People can find stationary bicycles in gyms. Seniors who have the ability to purchase these stationary bicycles can buy them and take them home for easy exercise. The exercise helps improve mobility and improve joint stability.

11. Regular stretching

The main role of regular stretching exercise among seniors is to improve flexibility. Seniors should do regular stretching to strengthen their muscles in various body parts such as the arms, neck, thighs, chest, back, and abdomen. The exercise also helps work joints in the knees, shoulders, ankles, and hips.

12. Wall pushup

This is an easy strength training exercise for seniors that doesn’t require any equipment. To get started, one has to stand some meters away in front of a wall and repeatedly lean forward using your arms to and from the wall surface.

13. Body weight workouts

As people get older, they tend to lose muscle over time. Statistics show that almost a third of the elderly lose muscle, resulting in hormonal challenges and less protein metabolism. Seniors who want to stop muscle atrophy effects should consider body weight workouts since they’re effective and less costly. There are many body weight exercises such as side-lying circles, squats to chair, lying hip bridges, and bird dog.

In conclusion, these are some best exercises for seniors with instructions. Regardless of the exercise one chooses to engage in, it’s essential to follow some safety tips, including starting slowly, proper dressing, and stopping whenever there’s a pain sign