Are you trying to help your elderly loved one improve their overall physical fitness level? If so, it is important to learn more about physical fitness guidelines in the elderly. It is also important that your elderly loved one gets rid of misconceptions regarding exercising as an older person. The better that both of you can get at doing these things, the more it can help to motivate them to get physically fit.
Stop the Misconceptions
One of the first things that both you and your elderly loved one may need to do is to stop the misconceptions. Some of the common misconceptions regarding physical fitness for senior citizens include:
- They can’t lift weights.
- They shouldn’t exercise regularly.
- They aren’t able to walk more than just a little bit at a time.
- It is important that they always exercise first thing in the morning.
The truth is that some senior citizens can lift weights. They should also exercise regularly and walk more than just a few minutes each time, as long as their doctor indicates that it is safe to do so. Lastly, elderly people don’t have to exercise first thing in the morning. They can exercise when it is most convenient for them. As long as you and your elderly loved one can remember these things, it will be easier to get them started on a physical fitness routine or program.
Eat More Vegetables
Wait, a minute? Aren’t we talking about physical fitness? If so, why do the vegetables matter? Well, just because the misconceptions above aren’t true, that doesn’t mean that senior citizens don’t have a higher risk of getting injured when they exercise. However, with this being noted, eating more vegetables (especially those with a lot of calcium) can help to boost bone strength. When this happens, there is a lower risk of bone fractures while exercising. Broccoli, kale, and peppers are all great vegetables for senior citizens to eat regularly.
Staying Hydrated
Another way for your elderly loved one to boost their physical fitness level is by staying hydrated. Studies show that elderly people who are hydrated:
- Have more energy
- Can move around easier
- Better immune health
- Fewer digestive health issues
- Better motivation to do things
- Are able to walk further
As you can tell, staying hydrated is crucial for your elderly loved one’s physical and overall health. If needed, you or 24-hour home care providers can remind your elderly loved one to drink more water throughout each day. It might even help if they were to have a water bottle that is filled with them wherever they go.
Now that you know more about physical fitness in the elderly, you and home care providers can better help to improve your elderly loved one’s physical fitness. If, at any point in time, your elderly loved one seems to have difficulties moving around, you should speak to their doctor about what should be done to help them be more active.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm