How individuals move (or don’t move) over a lifetime can have a profound impact on overall health and cognition. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle in one’s forties, fifties, and sixties can impact how healthy one’s brain is in their eighties. Once an individual has reached their eighties or nineties, it’s vital to engage in exercise that’s appropriate for their level of cardiovascular and skeletomuscular health. Activity too high in intensity can lead to negative consequences, but it’s also necessary that it’s intense enough to be challenging.
Scroll down to learn more about designing the ideal exercise program for your elderly loved one.
Move Mindfully Over a Lifetime
Even if you work a desk job, we’ve explored some simple ways to get more movement into your day. Some ideas include transitioning to a standing desk (even better if you also invest in a walking pad to put below it!), getting in 1,000 steps during a 10-minute work break, taking a 5-10 minute stretching break, or even following a guided video demonstrating stretches you can perform while seated at your desk. We’ve also discussed on the blog ideas like walking while you have a virtual meeting and doing a quick 5-minute exercise routine in your office that might include 10 air squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 jumping jacks.
Tailoring an Exercise Program for Elderly Loved Ones
Staying active is an integral part of longevity and improved quality of life. Below is a sample weekly exercise plan for an older adult based on fitness recommendations for seniors from the Center for Disease Control.
The CDC recommends seniors participate in balance and flexibility training seven days per week. This could include pilates, yoga, or a gentle stretching routine. Strength or resistance training is recommended three times per week. Seniors can utilize weight machines, free weights, or bands for resistance training. Aerobic or cardio exercise is recommended at least five days per week. The cardio portion could include walking, swimming, biking, water aerobics, or Zumba, to get 30 minutes of exercise per session.
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RanchView Senior Assisted Living is a family-owned and operated independent assisted living community in Encinitas, California. Our owners have firsthand experience of having loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. We walk alongside families as they traverse the difficult road of Alzheimer’s and have been supporting the greater San Diego community for decades.
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RanchView Senior Assisted Living in Encinitas, California, is a senior care community in Southern California. We understand that our residents’ holistic life experience (social, spiritual, emotional, mental, physical) is vitally important. Our caregivers provide top-notch, individualized care to each of the members of our communities. Independent living and assisted living offer a chance for seniors to experience the joy of community and activity while not having to worry about the daily grind and upkeep of home life.
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