In-Home and Exercise

It’s no secret that the secret to feeling better and living longer is staying active. Finding a workout routine that works for your aging loved one and helping them stick with it can pay big dividends. Regular exercise helps older people stay independent and may even prevent diabetes, heart trouble, arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. Regular physical activity can improve your loved one’s quality of life in so many ways. Doing something your senior loves to do is a great way to stay motivated. Over exerting themselves or participating in an exercise program that they don’t really like can make them feel exhausted and very likely cause them to discontinue the activity altogether. If your loved one enjoys swimming or if dancing gets them excited, remind them to do what they enjoy.

You are never too old to start exercising. In fact, exercise only gets more important with advancing age. Research shows that no matter what your age, you stand to gain improvements in strength, balance, range in motion, bone density and mental clarity through exercise. Make working out fun for your aging loved one. Working out does not have to be a downer. Even sitting in a chair can be transformed into a workout routine with the right creativity and motivation. 

Some low-impact at home exercises include chair squats and wall push-ups. A variation of a wall push up is like a wall snow-angel.  Opening the chest and relaxing tension in the back while raising palms-out and backs of hands against the wall over the head as high as possible. Raise and lower in several repetitions. This is just a short example of light exercises that can be accomplished in the home and a caregiver from Senior Helpers of Chattanooga can be there for assistance.

Break up the exercise and workout routine. You don’t have to get all of your physical activities in at once. Take time outs and break up routines into smaller segments. This will help keep seniors from getting tired of one activity, as well as help mix up their routine. 

When it comes to beginning a regular exercise routine, remember to begin slowly.  Start with exercises that your senior loved one is already doing comfortably. Starting slowly makes it less likely they will injure themselves.  Starting slowly also prevents soreness. Walking is an excellent activity to start with. Whenever possible, join in. Your aging loved one isn’t the only one who should be working on their fitness. Join in!  Motivation is crucial when it comes to getting more active, so encourage your clients by working out by their side.

You may not see your aging loved one at the gym every day, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be conscious about their physical health. No matter our age, it’s important to keep exercise in mind. Working on your fitness not only improves your physical health, but also your mental health. Working out, even on a minimum level, can greatly decrease stress and anxiety levels.

Senior Helpers of Chattanooga provides compassionate and highly trained professional in home care to all areas of Chattanooga, Hixson, Cleveland, Ooltewah, Signal Mountain. Call 423-710-1500 to learn more about how your aging loved one can remain active and independent in their home with professional in-home care. Experienced and compassionate caregivers will prepare a nutritious meal and remind your loved one to take their appropriate medications. This personal care version of in-home senior care offers great peace of mind to families who have their own life responsibilities to attend to and worry about their loved one.