Exercise, stretching, and good nutrition are important things through all stages of our lives. But when it comes to seniors and old age pensioners, it’s still essential to remain as active and healthy as possible.
Health experts agree that the older generation needs to stay in shape and keep their bodies active without overdoing it and hurting themselves.
But of course, that doesn’t mean pensioners should be doing the same kind of exercise that people in their twenties and thirties do on a daily basis.
In fact, if you’re an older person looking to get more active and make a regular exercise routine, it’s recommended that you aim for around 150 minutes of activity to stay in optimum shape.
Adults above the age of 60 who live in or around London and who are eager to stay healthy can work with London personal trainers to keep on track while being as safe as possible.
In the meantime, here are a few tips and hints for exercising safely as a pensioner to get you prepared for feeling better, improving your flexibility, and keeping in shape in your later years.
7 Types of Exercise for Pensioners as Life Goes On
Light Water Aerobics
Exercise methods like water aerobics are one of the most popular ways for elderly people to enjoy some light exercise that works all of the necessary muscles without being overly strenuous for them.
Regular light water aerobics sessions help elderly people with joint pains and mild arthritis and can be of huge benefit to pensioners as it helps them to stay active without as much pressure being applied to their joints.
The advantages of this exercise aren’t just for the body either. It’s not always easy to meet people and make new friends as an older person.
Fortunately, there are social water aerobics classes and one-to-one personal training options for seniors to enjoy leg lifts, water jogging, and arm curls in a safe and supportive environment.
Pilates
With pilates, pensioners can help to build their strength while using lower-impact styles of exercise. This can help them to improve their core strength, keep the joints flexible, and maintain a good balance in the process.
The use of mats, soft inflatable balls, and an emphasis on breathing and alignment make this a very effective exercise for people who want to stay in shape later in life.
Due to the wide range of modifications that pilates can offer, older people can gain more strength and build up their confidence while using low-impact exercises.
Another benefit is that this form of exercise can be used by people of all strengths and levels of mobility.
Chair Yoga Classes
Chair yoga combines all of the benefits you get from water aerobics and pilates while helping to maintain mobility in the body that doesn’t put too much strain on the muscles.
This is a very popular method of exercise for elders due to the ability to sit while building muscle strength more gently.
When you’re exercising as a pensioner, it’s just as important to feel comfortable as it is to feel confident in your ability to complete chair yoga within your own set goals and limitations.
What matters most is being active and eager to participate. The rest will soon follow.
Resistance Training Exercises
While the term ‘resistance training’ might sound like an intense workout, seniors find these exercises extremely helpful due to the way it helps to improve posture and balance without damaging muscles.
Most resistance exercises involve a resistance band, which is a line of rubber that helps to add a little more resistance to simple stretches and other movements.
Resistance training can help to promote better mobility and strength, providing elders with more independence while giving every major muscle group a decent workout too!
Resistance training can also be done in large groups or alone at home. It’s all about what works best for the individual.
However, like all exercise programs for elderly people, it’s always best to discuss your plans with a healthcare professional to make sure you’re being as safe and cautious as possible.
Taking Walks
Some elderly people may find this difficult to do, so this needs to be taken into consideration before any plans to go on long walks.
While doctors recommend we all make ten thousand or so steps per day, it’s best to set smaller, more achievable goals that can encourage pensioners to keep up with their walking.
Not only will walking give elderly people more health benefits, but it will also provide them with fresh air, new sights to see, and the opportunity to get to know people within their community.
Routes can be changed to keep things interesting, and walks can be done in large groups for more safety and comfort.
Dance Classes
One of the most fun aspects of taking a dance class for elderly people is the range of options available. There’s anything from ballroom and tango classes to more modern ones that give the heart a more intense workout.
Either way, it’s important to know limits and start small, especially for people new to dance who are discovering it later in life.
Dancing helps to strengthen all muscles in the body and improves balance at the same time. It’s also a form of exercise that people can enjoy and not dread like other gym-based activities.
For social and fun keep-fit activities, there is a wide range of dance classes available for seniors.
Cycling
It doesn’t really matter if someone cycles indoors with a stationary bike or explores the countryside as a group with an outdoor bicycle.
Either way, core muscles like hamstrings and thighs are being worked, while helping the heart to increase blood flow throughout the body. It’s also great for the lungs, which is vital for people’s health later in life.
It’s also easy on the joints, while also allowing each person to cycle at their own pace.
And while it may not suit everyone depending on their current health, cycling is a surefire way of boosting the body and keeping pensioners active as the years progress.
Conclusion
It can be easy to fall into the mindset that once you hit a certain age, you cannot be as active as you once were.
However, that’s simply not true! In this article, we discussed different ways that senior citizens, or pensioners, can remain active into their “golden oldies”.
In fact, staying active as you age can keep you feeling younger for longer. It’s better for your mental health and keeps your body stronger longer.
Think about it- if you stop using your car, it’s bound to get creaky and not run well after a while! Versus if you take care of it and take it on a drive every once in a while.
But staying active as you age doesn’t mean that you have to put yourself in danger of an injury. Slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop!
There are many ways to remain active, as discussed in the article- things like resistance training, water aerobics, and chair yoga are all aimed to be low-risk for injuries and very good for cardiovascular health!
For more information on health and wellness, check out our guides for eating healthier and taking care of yourself!
