Getting older doesn’t mean that you have to become feeble and weak. Healthy aging is possible and can be fun at the same time. This article will talk about the fun activities that older adults can do as they get older to stay active and keep fit.
Age Is But A Number
Although our bodies have a tendency to slow down and become more sedentary as we start to age, it is possible to ensure that we maintain good levels of physical and mental health in our later years. Oftentimes, when we think of an older adult, we imagine an individual who is weak and vulnerable. This doesn’t have to be the case. By committing to staying active in our later years we can make sure that healthy aging is possible and ensure age is but a number.
It is true that we may have to deal with age-related health conditions and illnesses such as arthritis or back pain once we become an older adult but this doesn’t have to impact our activity levels. Keeping an active lifestyle becomes more important than ever to our health as we get older and can offer us many mental and physical benefits.
Benefits Of Staying Active In Our Later Years
Studies suggest that older adults who actively participate in exercises such as swimming or walking on a regular basis notice huge improvements in their energy levels, mobility levels, muscle strength and cognitive abilities.
Staying active and practising healthy aging can help our immune system’s functioning leading to better blood pressure and bone density, and lowering our risks of developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Regular exercise also has the ability to improve our sleep pattern helping us to fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling more energized and refreshed.
A major aspect of healthy aging is ensuring that we are healthy not only in body but also in mind. Staying active as we age can help us to boost our overall mental wellbeing and self-confidence. The benefits that it can offer our brain functioning is often considered as much more substantial than that of brain exercises such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku. Carrying out regular exercise helps us to relieve stress, prevent memory loss and cognitive decline.
There is no denying that by staying active in our later years our bodies will benefit greatly. Even if we have joint pain, adopting low impact forms of physical exercise will help in reducing stiffness and improving our bone density. As much as we may think that doing physical exercise as an older adult may increase our risk of having a fall or injuring ourselves, not staying active will harm us even more.
Fun Activities To Keep Us Feeling Young
Keeping active doesn’t have to feel boring and it certainly doesn’t mean that you have to go to the gym and start lifting weights. There are many fun physical activities that we can adopt into our daily routines as we age to keep us feeling young.
Yoga
Yoga is a great exercise for older adults especially due to its ability to improve flexibility and reduce stress. This is a form of stretching exercise which combines poses with breathing exercises. It is also considered a low-impact physical activity so will be kinder on your joints and bones. Many yoga studios will offer classes for elderly adults and will adopt any exercises to suit your needs. Practising yoga on a regular basis will help to improve strength, balance, reduce any stress and anxiety that you may have and improves mental performance.
Water Aerobics
Swimming and water aerobics are very popular forms of activity among older adults. This is due to the fact that exercising in water doesn’t put as much stress and strain on our bodies or joints. If you suffer from arthritis, water aerobics could be the perfect physical activity for you. Whether you decide to go for a swim at your local swimming pool or take part in a water aerobics class, you will be sure to notice many health benefits such as increased flexibility, improved muscle strength and a healthy heart and circulatory system.
Dancing
Dancing can be a great way to stay active and is a very fun activity that you can do when you begin to age. Whether by yourself or with a partner, taking a dance class can help to improve flexibility, balance, posture and circulation. There are many age-friendly dance class options available such as Zumba, ballroom, jazzercise, ballet and square dancing.
However, it is important to keep in mind with higher energy activities such as dancing that you should stick to a pace that is more comfortable for you. It can be easy to get caught up in the rhythm of the music when dancing but make sure that you don’t compromise any pain that you may be experiencing.
Healthy Aging Doesn’t Have To Be Boring
The key to keeping our bodies feeling young as we age is to actively participate in fun, physical activities on a regular basis. By taking up exercises such as yoga, dancing or cycling in our later years we can improve both our mental and physical well-being which will undoubtedly lead us to live out our golden years happily and healthily.