Types of Exercise Important to your Aging Parent

By Andy Niska | September 21, 2017 |

You’ve undoubtedly heard the benefits of exercise for you and your aging parent. It helps maintain and increase strength and improves flexibility and balance. It often improves mood and also helps manage diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Caregiver in Newport WA: Types of Exercise

While aerobics has made the headlines for several years now, there are several additional types of exercises that should be included in one’s daily exercise plan. In fact, there are four main types of exercise to consider when you are helping set up an exercise schedule for your parent. And don’t forget to set up one for yourself while you’re at it. The role of a family caregiver can be extremely rewarding and time consuming. Maintaining a balanced schedule is crucial to your success as a caregiver and to your health and well-being.

Aerobics.

Aerobic exercise gets your blood flowing, increases your heart rate and is good for your lungs as well as your waistline. Participating in aerobic activity at least five days a week leads to an increase in endurance and makes everyday tasks that much easier to perform. It’s conducive to a good night’s sleep, and may even help prevent memory loss and cognitive decline. Types of aerobic activities include brisk walking, dancing, swimming, bicycling, and water aerobics which often includes strength training as well.

Strength Training.

Keeping one’s muscles strong supports the body in a myriad of ways. Strong muscles help support your joints, maintains your balance, keeps bones strong, helps prevent falls and makes day-to-day tasks easier to accomplish—from climbing the stairs to opening a jar. Exercises that are considered strength training include weight lifting, elastic bands and using your own body weight as resistance.

Flexibility.

This type of exercise helps your body remain loose and limber, and increases one’s range of motion. It helps your parent retain the ability to bend over and tie their shoes or look over their shoulder when driving. General stretching routines and yoga are two types of exercises that fall into this category.

Balance.

Maintaining one’s balance helps reduce the risk of falling, sustains one’s posture, and helps your parent remain mobile. Exercises that are particularly good for balance include Tai Chi and yoga.

As a family caregiver, it may seem overwhelming trying to fit in all these different types of exercises into an already busy schedule. Fortunately, most exercise programs combine several of these different requirements. For instance, Tai Chi and yoga improve strength, flexibility and balance. Water aerobics provides endurance training, strength training and an increase in balance.

There are several programs that are designed with seniors in mind. The local YMCA often offers programs to help seniors stay active. These usually include exercise, wellness programs, day trips, meals, and special interest classes. The senior community center is another space that offers a wealth of exercise and other types of classes such as art, music and technology.

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in Newport, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088

Resources

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/exercise-and-fitness-as-you-age.htm

https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/4-types-exercise

Author
Recent Posts

Andy Niska

Owner at Love In Home Senior Care

Andy has over 20+ years experience in the medical community and has a true compassion for seniors. With a degree in Health Care Administration, he developed a background in a variety of health care services that only comes from first hand experience. While working as a manager of a large clinic and as an account executive for medical suppliers. Andy has built valuable relationships with the medical community.

His role in Love In Home Senior Care is to educate people on what care choice is the best fit for the senior and their family while attempting to make this decision as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

This decision making process should be smooth and stress free for everyone, including all family members and their loved ones. Having access to people with experience (like the team at Love In Home Senior Care) to assist you along the way can help this process. With an extensive background in health care, Andy has the experience needed to guide and direct your loved one to the choice that is the best fit.