In short, yes, it’s a good idea. Since seniors are old and fragile most of the time, you would feel that it’s not that safe for your mother/ father to adopt an exercise regime but in reality, the potential benefits of exercising outweigh the risks.
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We’ve all heard that exercising at a young age can decrease the risk of developing heart diseases, diabetes, and depression. This applies to elders too, with care, regular exercising can improve these conditions, leaving your elderly mother/ father in a better mood and more energetic than they otherwise would be. Exercise can also boost their immune system thus helping them fight off diseases easier and making it harder for pathogens to invade their body. Many elderly women tend to lose the strength of their bones as they get older thus making them highly susceptible to diseases such as osteoporosis, through exercise we can strengthen their bones and combat this issue. So, as you can see there are several benefits but you should be cautious around them, it is highly beneficial if you can get a personal trainer Mitcham, as they can provide them with a workout schedule more suited to their condition, this way they are highly unlikely to get injured in the process.
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What exercises would be beneficial?
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Strength training, aerobics, and stretches will be suitable for the elderly. They can start off with 30 minutes of walking or cycling or a 20-minute jog in either a park or a treadmill, and it\’s better for those with existing heart conditions to take breaks in the midst. For example, they can exercise for 10 minutes, then take a break and continue again 2-3 times, always remind them to take it slow if they are just starting out.
Next, they can incorporate weights and nautilus machines into their training in order to improve bone density and strengthen muscle mass. This followed by around 10 sets of lunges, crunches and leg raises will be good as they can help decrease back pains.
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Additionally, Pilates and water aerobics will be beneficial for the elderly. Group fitness classes can make the experience more enjoyable and motivational as they get to meet new people of the same age, this can help them maintain a better social life thus significantly reducing feelings of loneliness.
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While exercising is highly beneficial it is important to consult a physician in order to evaluate if they are fit to do exercises, some gyms offer health checkups and guidance to their members and are open 24 hours a day, this way they can fit the work out session into their schedule at any time.