Any time your senior is considering something like exercising more it’s a good idea for her to check with her doctor first to make sure it’s alright for her to do. Once she’s got medical clearance, it’s crucial for her to understand just how helpful exercise can be for her. There’s a lot of reasons that moving more is something she’s going to want to try.
Reduces Fall Risk
Preventing falls is one of the best reasons for your elderly family member to start a regular exercise program. Muscle loss, balance issues, and trouble with flexibility can all contribute to fall risk. Exercising on a regular basis helps to maintain muscle tone and can help your elderly family member to rebuild her balance and flexibility.
Improves Bone Strength
Weakening bones are not a good thing and a lot of seniors find that as they grow older, they’re more at risk for osteoporosis. Exercise is excellent for improving bone strength, particularly if the exercise is weight-bearing. Activities like walking are great choices for improving bone health. If your elderly family member already has osteoporosis, she may feel more comfortable exercising with someone there with her, like home care providers who can offer companionship.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
Exercise boosts circulation, which in turn helps with cardiovascular health. Exercise also helps to improve things like blood sugar levels and blood pressure, which can help to reduce cardiovascular risks such as strokes and heart attacks. If your elderly family member already has specific cardiovascular health issues, her doctor may have some specific exercise recommendations for her.
Improves Cognitive Health
If your elderly family member is concerned about cognitive health, then exercise is going to help her quite a bit. For starters, exercise boosts circulation in the brain. But it’s believed that exercise helps with brain health because of the various hormones and endorphins released by being more active.
Reduces Stress
Exercise helps to improve mood and stress levels, again because of the hormones and endorphins released from the brain. Your senior may also sleep better, which also helps with stress reduction. If she’s socializing while she exercises, your senior is also likely to receive stress relief from that, too.
Exercise is overall one of the best things that your senior can do for her overall health and well-being. Lots of seniors are nervous about having difficulty exercising or having something happen while exercising, which might mean that having home care providers available for your elderly family member can give her some peace of mind about moving more. Caregivers are there to assist with any necessary tasks as well, which can free up time for your senior to spend on activities like moving more.
