Initiating a routine exercise habit is challenging at any age. Doing exercises is exhausting. We may not want to invest the time. We’re feeling the pain from yesterday’s exercise. We’ve all made excuses like these for not exercising, but frailty and advanced age make it even more complicated to adhere to an exercise routine and maintain senior fitness.
At Stay Home Care, we help older individuals continue to remain active with strategies to overcome the following common senior fitness roadblocks:
- Self-confidence: It’s normal for seniors to feel overwhelmed with the idea of meeting exercise objectives. It can help to start off slowly with exercises that are easily accomplished and advance gradually; and, encourage the senior with frequent encouragement.
- Attitude: Attitude is extremely important when it comes to fitness. If approached in a negative way, it will be much tougher to maintain an effective exercise plan. Choose activities that will be enjoyable and that the older adult will look forward to.
- Pain: The saying, “No pain, no gain” just isn’t true. Older adults should stay away from overdoing it, and decrease the intensity level if experiencing pain or discomfort.
- Disabilities: Older individuals with physical or cognitive limitations can and should continue to remain active in line with their ability level. Talk with the health care provider for a referral to a personal trainer or physical therapist who can create a program of specialized exercises.
- Fear of Injury/Balance Problems: There are a wide variety of assistive devices to permit safe, effective exercising while still maximizing senior fitness.
- Financial Concerns: It does not need to cost a huge amount of money to be fit! Walking and other simple exercises in and around the senior’s home, using common household objects, can be integrated into an exercise program at little to no cost.
- Illness or Fatigue: Exercises can be individualized to match the senior’s energy level, and he or she may slowly and gradually increase the endurance level over time.
Keep in mind that the trick to ongoing success with an exercise plan is to see that the older adult feels comfortable and safe with the strategy and the exercises. If soreness is noted in muscles or joints the day after exercising, a lesser intensity can be put in place; and check with the doctor if the pain or discomfort persists.
Stay Home Care’s senior care team will work with your loved one’s doctor to implement a safe exercise plan in accordance with his or her abilities to increase strength, independence, and overall quality of life. Contact us at 615-964-7726 to learn more about the benefits of daily exercise in improving senior fitness and to discover more about how we can help with our in-home care and dementia care in Nashville and the surrounding areas.