It is not complicated for an older adult or any adult at all to stay active. An effective combination of the right physical activities or exercise can eliminate uninteresting physical routines. Frequent health studies have concluded that; the more active the body of an older adult is, the more the longevity of their healthy living.
Participating in recreations and effective physical activities that involve interaction with others provide many health benefits, as it helps in reducing and preventing the risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and in many cases arthritis in older adults. It also helps in achieving and also maintaining well-toned muscles, peak bone mass, and flexible joints and ligaments.
MAINTAINING STRENGTH
Strength and endurance can be maintained throughout life with an increase in brain activity and exercise. Mental stimulation and physical exercise can delay or prevent many types of illnesses. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 minutes of moderate and effective physical exercise on most days a week is very good practice.
Regular exercise helps decrease body fat, reduce weight, boost the immune system, prevents falls in the seniors and decreases hospitalizations and overall mortality and improve general well-being. The key though is to ensure you are doing gentle exercises.
BECOMING ACTIVE
Physically active people take fewer medications and rarely have to visit physicians for any reason at all. They can live independently, perform more activities of their daily living, are more active sexually and have less erectile dysfunction.
A man was not made to rust out in idleness. A degree of exercise is as necessary for the preservation of health, both body and mind, as his daily food. Here are some effective fun activities that guarantee healthy living and numerous health benefits.
DANCING:
Dancing has proven to be an effective way to exercise and keep both bodies and mind active even in your elderly years. As a lot of different challenges comes with age: physically, emotionally, mentally and socially; Dancing has proven helpful in all those aspects of living.
When it comes to our bodies, Exercise keeps us fit and toned, builds and upholds our muscles, and aids us in remaining flexible and coordinated. Aging undoes these slowly but surely, but dancing isn’t responsive to this kind of decline. Dancing is an effective way to get some cardiovascular benefits, improve your coordination and balance.
Dancing tends to affect many areas of the body, including the brain like other aerobic activities. The combination of cognitive coordination with the muscles is a complete workout inside out. A dancing person’s brain must cooperate with the muscles to create what is called muscle memory, allowing the person to move fluidly. Regular practice of this physical practice can help minimize the risk of cognitive decline as a person ages.
Dancing is fun and invigorating at the same time; it provides elderly people with exercise for the body combined with the cognitive stimulation they need to stay active and alert. Some interesting dance moves include salsa, tango, cha-cha, gbese, shoki and so on.
JOGGING OR RUNNING:
Jogging or running is one of the most effective and recognized types of vigorous aerobic activity. This activity makes one breathe hard and fast-improving Endurance which guarantees a healthy heart, lungs and circulatory system. Jogging is an efficient way to exercise aerobically which is very crucial for cardiovascular health at any age most especially in our older years.
Running causes the blood vessels to relax and in doing so helps to keep blood vessels elastic and helps prevent high blood pressure. Furthermore, running or jogging as an aerobic physical activity helps control your weight keeping you in the right shape, lower blood sugar and cholesterol level, improves sleep, get rid of depression by boosting your mood, reduces stress, increase energy, It is also beneficial to the brain as it sends more blood flow to the brain making the blood vessel healthy and preserving cognition.
Jogging is free as you can run anywhere, any distance suitable for you especially when done with a partner or in a group. It is really helpful to have someone at about the same level as you to run with you. You can encourage and motivate each other or in most cases get into a conversation that you cover the long-distance without even noticing.
LEARNING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:
Learning to play a musical instrument is another good way to boost brain health. If you prefer to sing, there are many choir groups specifically for older adults. In either case, these are activities that promote interaction with others.
They are not strenuous but require energy and interest. Many of the adverse effects normally associated with old age can be reduced, or in some cases, dissipate when stimulation of this type is experienced consistently. Physical activities are important in all stages of life.
HIKING:
Hiking is a great way to enjoy warm weather with blooming flowers and fresh summer air as it can reduce arthritis, ease joint and knee pain, boost bone density, improve cardiovascular health and increase circulation. Hiking doesn’t necessarily mean climbing Mount Everest before y’all get scared.
You could just take a long stroll around your neighborhood along with your dog or walk with someone you can have a conversation with. Better still, you can decide to walk alone around sightseeing at the building structures, designs, and lifestyle and so on. For those who seek adventure, hiking to an adventurous location or wilderness could have a very remarkable experience. You just have to make the right preparation.
SWIMMING:
Swimming is also a wonderful and effective exercise as it helps one stay in shape. As little as a 30-minute session in the pool twice a week can work absolute wonders on all aspects of your health and wellbeing. You don’t have to swim laps, aqua jogging, and water aerobics as it is a low-impact exercise and also socialize with friends.
Whilst swimming helps you improve the range of motion in your joints at the same time helping you to maintain and gradually improve your level of strength and flexibility.
The right mix of exercise activities when you are over age 65 can help you stay fit and reduce your health risks. The basic prescription is for endurance exercise, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
The minimum time for moderately intense aerobic exercise is 30 minutes per day on five days each week. You should warm-up for at least 5 minutes before and after exercising. It is advisable to walk slowly and stretch.