Choose Viable Exercise Program for the Elderly People
As we all want to lead a healthy and disease free life, therefore, growing older is no excuse to stop exercising. In fact, it has been proved time and again that, regular exercise helps to improve our well-being. Exercise can particularly help people who have suffered a stroke or use a wheelchair. Three out of every four elderly persons do not get enough exercise. Leading a sedentary lifestyle also puts senior citizens at an increased risk of developing medical complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, arthritis and osteoporosis, etc. It can also be a cause of frequent mood swings, decreased brain function and cognition. No matter what is your age, following senior exercise programs will definitely make you feel better.
Most of the, especially designed exercise program for the elderly, basically focus on strengthening muscles, increasing flexibility and recuperating cardiovascular health. Strong muscles help to lessen stress on the arthritic joints of the elderly people by absorbing shock and preventing the occurrence of injury. Certain flexibility exercises like tai chi and yoga can greatly help to increase the range of motion of their joints and muscles. Cardiovascular exercise, on the other hand improves the function of heart and lungs. These exercises also help to boost their endurance and mood. Senior citizens can participate in effective cardiovascular workouts, such as walking, dancing, swimming and bicycling to enjoy a new level of fitness.
Range of motion in simple words, describes your ability to move your body, like how high you can raise your arms or bend your legs, comfortably. Range-of-motion exercise programs for the aged individuals aims to increase their ability to move their body without any sort of pain. This program includes various sets of repetitive and progressive stretching exercises. Physical therapists, nurses or nursing assistants help to move arms and legs of the elderly people during the course of passive range-of-motion exercises. Senior people can also move their limbs on their own during the active range-of-motion exercises. Although, these exercises are extremely beneficial for all elderly people, but these can prove especially useful people suffering with weakness or paralysis from a stroke or stiffness and pain due to arthritis.
Senior citizens who use a wheelchair to move around can also seek the benefits of exercises. Special exercise programs for chair-bound elderly people aims to focus on strength training, flexibility and endurance. Free weights, otherwise known as dumbbells, for repetitive lifting are used for these exercises. Performing yoga and breathing exercises in bed and in the wheelchair can help to improve flexibility in them. Some exercise program for the elderly and disabled people also makes use of especially designed swimming pools for wheelchair-bound patients. As, swimming and other aqua exercise programs strengthen the muscles and improve balance, hence these are included in senior exercise programs. Water exercise programs even enhance bone density of postmenopausal women. Increased bone density reduces the chances of a fracture or brittle bones.
Processing your request, Please wait....
