The following article is written by Marie Clark who also writes for Elder Kind.
If you want to have more energy for the things that you love to do and reduce your odds of getting diseases like diabetes, colon cancer and osteoporosis then all you need are exercise, physical activity and a balanced diet to start living a better life.
Being physically active can actually help you cut your risk of depression and improve your outlook on life too. No matter how old you are you can start right now improving your health and extending your lifespan and health span.
Getting Started
To get more active you don’t have to invest in expensive exercise equipment, gym memberships or fancy workout clothes. Make being physically active a natural and normal part of your every day life. Seek out fun activities that in mind your interest with physical activity. Call up a friend or relative and go for a brisk walk. Dust off that old bicycle and take a spin into town on two wheels rather than driving in your car. We have a choice between taking the stairs or writing an elevator go with the one that will give you some cardiovascular benefits. If you enjoy swimming or dancing and make those activities part of your life on a regular basis.
Aerobic exercises are terrific for your cardiovascular health. Taking long walks on a regular basis will help lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels and boost your metabolism. You’ll even sleep sounder. But aerobics are just one type of exercise; to have a really healthy body try to get all four types of exercise on a regular basis. The 4 key areas are
- Flexibility
- Strength
- Endurance
- Balance.
Flexibility
Stretching is a great way improve your flexibility.
- Never force yourself into an uncomfortable position when stretching.
- Avoid jerky movements that may cause strains.
- Don’t try to stretch too fast or too far.
- If it has been awhile since you’ve been in the stretching take it easy on your body and slowly increase your flexibility over time.
Strength
You can improve your muscular strength with basic calisthenics and the light weight lifting.
- Before you begin any type of exercise program you should always check with your doctor first.  Get a complete check out and tell your doctor that you’re planning to start working out.  You want to make sure that you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions that may be aggravated by a new diet or strenuous exercise.
Endurance
Get into some activity that causes your heart to beat faster and your lungs to work harder for about 30 minutes at a time.
- Find activities like biking, walking, jogging or swimming that you enjoy.
- Get active at least 3 times a week and every day if possible.
- If 30 minutes all at once is too much for you, break it into shorter periods of time.
Balance
Balance is extremely important for senior citizens.  Many seniors become severely injured because of falling due to lack of balance.
- One way you can improve your balance is by standing on one foot for a few seconds at a time.
- You may want to hold onto some furniture the first time you try it.
- If your health is not so great you should only try this when you’re with somebody who can help you in case you fall.
Regardless of your age you can benefit from regular physical exercise. Even if you have some medical condition there are always things you can do to remain physically active.  Talk to medical professionals like your doctor or physical therapist for custom exercises that take into account your existing state of health.
When exercising always make sure that you have plenty of fluids. Some older people have a poor sense of how dehydrated they are so make sure that you drink fluids on a regular basis whether or not you feel thirsty, especially if you are doing something physically active. Ease your way into physical activity slowly. Better to make slow and steady progress rather than to rush and hurt yourself. Think a safety first.
For more information on senior health and safety for senior citizens, please visit Elder Kind.
Speak Your Mind