We’ve all been told that taking care of ourselves is extremely important. What we eat, our routine and our physical condition directly define our quality of life. The same goes for senior citizens. Healthy diet, proper hydration and regular exercise is even more important at a later age. Exercise can help our heart work better, our bones become stronger and make senior citizens much more vital overall. Additionally, seniors who add exercise to their routine benefit from a decreased risk of contracting a chronic disease, they are less susceptible to injury and feel stronger and better about themselves, improving their mood.
How Does Exercise Benefit Seniors?
Adults over forty lose about three to five percent of their muscle mass, which keeps slowly degrading as years go by. As each decade of our lives passes, the muscles become weaker. Since muscles are essential in keeping our balance and our strength, working to keep them as strong as possible is essential for seniors. This is why exercising is a key factor in keeping seniors citizens independent.
Exercise is also vital for our cognitive capabilities. There’s a direct correlation between exercise and performance of our brain neurons, the family of cells responsible for our basic functions as well as our memory. This is why some experts recommend frequent walks to boost cognitive function and prevent the onset of dementia at a later age.
However, having to exercise at such a late age can be extremely difficult, especially if your senior loved one never was much of an exercise type in the first place. That is why they might need your help at first to feel more comfortable and develop a habit for exercise.
Another way you could help them get more exercise is to look for help from Los Angeles Home Caregiver Services. In home care specialists can help your senior loved one feel safe during their workout activities and keep an eye out for their progress for you.
Getting your senior loved ones used to exercise can have so many benefits! Here’s some of them:
Rapid Healing
While this may sound like a superpower, in fact seniors who exercise regularly heal much faster than those who don’t. Exercise also keep their immune system in shape, meaning that the body fights infections and diseases much more efficiently.
Fighting Off Chronic Diseases
Exercising not only helps fight off infections, but more serious chronic diseases as well. A study conducted by the National Institute of Aging claims that regular exercise can help battle conditions common in seniors such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease.
Independence and Stability
Regular exercise can help seniors retain their balance, eliminating the risk of injury by falling, a common mishap with senior citizens. Something as harmless as a slip for young or mid-age adults might mean a broken hip or a fragmented bone for seniors. Not only can exercise make senior citizens more stable by keeping their muscle mass at top shape, it can also strengthen the bones, eliminating the risks of similar serious injuries.
Better Quality of Life
Seniors who exercise more often experience not only physical benefits, but mental ones as well. Exercising can help seniors battle with depression and improve their mood. Your senior loved ones will be healthier and therefore more independent. The exercise routine doesn’t even need to be extremely intense, but has to be frequent and consistent.
Seek Help from the Leading Los Angeles Home Caregiver Services Referral Agency
A Better Way in Home Care is a respectable Home Caregiver Services referral agency. Our aim is to make a perfect client-caregiver match that will guarantee both customer satisfaction and a better life for your senior loved one. If you need a professional, patient caregiver to help your senior loved ones exercise and feel better about themselves, contact us at (818) 788-9995 or reach out through our online form.
