In this article we’ll explore why physical fitness matters in particular for older adults. Then, we’ll share three specific types of exercise for seniors over 75 that support the CDC recommendations. Let’s dive in.

Exercise Helps Seniors Maintain Overall Health

First and foremost, exercise is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity can help seniors reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Additionally, exercise can improve mental health by reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.

Exercise Supports Mobility and Balance for Seniors

Secondly, exercise is essential for maintaining and improving mobility and balance. Aging can lead to a decline in muscle strength and flexibility, making it harder for seniors to perform everyday tasks. Engaging in regular physical activity can help seniors maintain their independence and prevent falls, which are a leading cause of injury among older adults.

3 Excellent Methods of Exercise for Seniors over 75

Walking

This simple, low-impact exercise is perfect for seniors. It can be easily adapted to any fitness level and can be done anywhere, anytime. Walking helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and improve balance.

As a bonus, walking with friends is a wonderful social activity that can build connections with family or peers and reduce feelings of social isolation.

Chair exercises

For those with limited mobility or balance issues, chair exercises can be an excellent option. Common examples include seated marches, seated leg lifts, and seated arm curls.

Studies show chair-based exercises are simple yet effective in maintaining and improving muscle strength in older adults.

Swimming

This low-impact exercise is gentle on the joints and can be an excellent option for seniors with arthritis or other joint issues. Swimming can help improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and flexibility.

Besides the physical benefits, one study even suggests that swimming may improve mental speed and acuity in older adults.

Get Your Free 1:1 Caregiving Support

The importance of exercise for seniors over 75 is clear, but sometimes it’s not straightforward to help them create a fitness program that matches both their curent physical and mental abilities. Would you like personal, customized help assessing the physical fitness needs of your senior loved one—completely free of charge?

Get compassionate caregiving support in one of these three easy ways.

Visit our support page and request your complimentary Caregiver Workbook.

Call our Caregiver Hotline for free custom support at 855-461-2552. We’re here to help.

Send us a message describing how we can support you. Choose whether you’d like us to reach out: text, email, or snail mail.

Again, there is no charge for these services. They’re simply an extension of our mission to help every family who calls.

The post 3 Excellent Exercises for Seniors Over 75 appeared first on Benton House.

Longer days and more sunshine lift our moods and urge us outdoors. But as our loved one’s age, finding comfortable and rewarding ways to support them in getting movement and exercise can become more of a challenge.

In fact, only 13.9% of Americans 65 and over meet participation guidelines for leisure-time aerobic and muscle strengthening activities.

Yet regular exercise is vital for seniors. That’s why at Benton House, we have a handful of go-to spring activity ideas that are both enjoyable and accessible for the residents in our communities.

Shall we explore our top seven?

Let’s Look at our Top 7 Spring Activity Ideas for Seniors

#1 – Fishing Trips

Getting out into nature. Beautiful calm water. The excitement of catching a fish. Being with friends or family. Organizing a morning or afternoon fishing trip for your senior loved one is an excellent way to support gentle exercise and time outside, breathing in the fresh air spring brings.

#2 – Gardening

The classic spring activity: planting flowers! If your loved one has spent a lifetime tending plants, support them to find ways to adapt their garden to be accessible as they age, like building raised beds and installing benches to rest and enjoy the beauty. If gardening is a new hobby, starting small with a few hanging flowers and herbs on a sunny porch.

#3 – Walking Clubs

Social isolation is one of the biggest challenges facing seniors today. And while it’s wonderful to find ways to spend time with your mom or dad as they age, it’s just as important for them to spend time with friends. Helping them find a local walking club, or supporting them in creating one in their community, encourages both exercise and a health-giving social life.

#4 – Park Visits and Picnics

What better time than spring to visit a local park for a walk and lunch with friends? Blooming trees, sunshine, and birdsong are uplifting and accessible for all ages, which makes parks especially great spots to gather diverse groups of people together.

#5 – Reading on the Porch With a Friend

Who says reading needs to be a solitary activity? Combine a good novel or magazine, some iced tea, a porch, and a dear friend, and you’ve got a beautiful afternoon for those days when fresh air is on the menu, but your loved one is in the mood for a more leisurely day.

#6 – Bird Watching

One reason bird watching is popular with seniors is accessibility and flexibility. Less active seniors can enjoy the hobby with binoculars from a garden chair, or even indoors, seated near a window. If your loved one can take longer walks, you can support them by helping them find a local bird sanctuary.

#7 – Leisurely Spring Flower Drives

Maybe your loved one can no longer take the long walks they used to enjoy to admire their neighbors flowers or walk around their favorite park. Instead, taking a slow sightseeing drive around beautiful neighborhoods or parks can bring the joy of nature to seniors, despite any physical limitations.

Next Steps

Did any of these spring activity ideas for seniors plant a seed to help mom or dad get outdoors to breathe in some fresh air this season?

It can be a challenge to find ways to inspire your loved one to stay active as they age, but with all the fresh energy, spring is a wonderful season to encourage a new hobby.

If you could use support finding specific activities for your loved one, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 7 Spring Activity Ideas for Seniors appeared first on Benton House.