Is Your Elderly Loved One Off Track with her Workouts?
It doesn’t take much to get off track from an exercise program and your elderly loved one might find herself in that situation for a lot of reasons. Getting back on track can be a bit of a mental game.
Break up the Exercise Routine
If your elderly loved one has sustained an injury, illness, or simply hasn’t stayed as active as she should, it’s possible that the exercise routine that she’s worked her way up to is too much for her right now. So breaking that up into smaller bits or even backtracking a little bit could be exactly what she needs.
Remind Her How Great She Feels
It’s easy to forget how much energy exercise can give you and how wonderful you can feel when you’re moving regularly. Remind your elderly loved one how much better she feels when she’s able to exercise regularly. She may still need to work up to her previous fitness level, but it can make a big difference for her.
Practice Visualizing
Another tool that can help your loved one is to help her practice visualizing herself working out. She can sit quietly and remember what a great workout consisted of on a normal day. Perhaps there was a specific activity or a certain goal that she was able to hit. Picturing herself in that workout can help her to see herself in that same situation again.
Set up a System of Rewards
Rewards are a huge motivator for most people and your elderly loved one might feel the same way. Sit down and talk about what kinds of rewards she might enjoy the most. Maybe a special movie afternoon or a trip to a particular location could be larger rewards for exercising the whole week. Smaller rewards might include a favorite dessert. Whatever the rewards are, they need to be something that your loved one likes and wants.
Find Helpers
Having helpers can make your loved one feel safer when she gets back to exercising. Home care providers can keep her company while she exercises. Other family members might be able to take a walk with her or drive her to the gym. Whatever her needs are in terms of assistance, you or someone else can likely handle those for her.
No matter why your loved one isn’t on target with her exercise plan, that’s still okay. She can always get back on track by putting one foot in front of the other.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in North Spokane, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088
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