How Homecare Aides Help Seniors Get Exercise

Exercise is vitally important for seniors. As seniors get older they run the risk of losing muscle mass and bone strength if they aren’t engaging in regular exercise. Homecare providers can motivate seniors to get more exercise and to exercise regularly.

Regular exercise also has many other benefits for seniors like:

  • Homecare Loveland OH - How Homecare Aides Help Seniors Get Exercise

    Homecare Loveland OH – How Homecare Aides Help Seniors Get Exercise

    Helping seniors maintain a healthy weight.

  • Helping seniors with balance.
  • Helping seniors fight depression and anxiety.
  • Helping seniors stay mobile.
  • Helping seniors lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

In order to get the most benefits from exercise the CDC recommends that people over 65 get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days per week. But it can be challenging for seniors to get regular exercise. Sometimes they just don’t want to exercise, which is totally understandable. In other cases seniors may just not want to exercise alone.

When seniors have regular visits from a homecare provider that caregiver can go for a walk or a bike ride with your senior loved one and motivate them to get up out of their chair and move. Many seniors are much more open to exercising regularly if they have someone to exercise with. And homecare providers can suggest new activities, keep track of a senior’s exercise, and encourage seniors to try new activities that will help them be more active.

The Best Exercises For Seniors can be Done with Homecare Aides

Any exercise is better than no exercise, so any activity that your senior parent enjoys and wants to do is a good exercise for them to do. But there are some types of activities that have bigger benefits for seniors than others like:

Weightlifting

Seniors don’t need to lift hundreds of pounds to get the benefits of weightlifting. Light weights used while walking or doing other strength training activity will help seniors maintain their muscle and bone strength as they get older.

Walking

Walking is a great exercise for everyone, but it’s especially good for seniors because it’s easy for seniors to do at any stage of fitness. Even seniors who don’t get a lot of activity can go for a short walk and build up the amount of time they spend walking until they are walking most days of the week. Walking with a homecare provider daily will keep seniors strong and healthy.

Swimming

Swimming is another great exercise for seniors. When activity is done in the water it is much easier for seniors who have chronic arthritis or other medical conditions but it still provides a great workout. If your senior loved one can’t drive anymore you can have a homecare provider help them get to the community pool or the gym if the gym has a pool so that they can attend swimming exercise classes or just swim laps.

Regular exercise is essential to help seniors stay physically and mentally fit. If you can’t be with your senior loved one every day to make sure they are exercising there are homecare providers who would love the chance to keep your senior parent motivated to exercise.

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/olderad.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Homecare Services in Loveland OH, please contact the caring staff at Queen City Elder Care today. Serving Cincinnati and Surrounding Communities. Call Us Today (513) 510-4410.

Mark & Michele Vollmer, Co-Owners, Managing Partners
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