No matter your age, staying active and healthy is one of the most important aspects of your life. Keeping an active lifestyle has a variety of physical benefits, like lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke, and improving your strength and balance to prevent injuries. The best part about exercise is that it also has a huge impact on your mental health!
Staying active not only helps improve your mood, but helps improve your ability to think and make decisions. We want to share some of our favorite fitness tips for seniors that can be adapted to all levels of fitness.
- Find your niche – The best way to get motivated to exercise is to find an activity you like, and these can be even better if you do them with friends. Set up a weekly walk with your friends to combine a workout with a social activity, or sign up for a class to make new friends!
- Find your groove – Cardio activities are great both for your mood and, you guessed it, for your heart. Cardio also helps you feel less fatigued throughout your day. Walking, swimming, aerobics and cycling are all great activities to choose from.
- Find your strength – Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass and improves balance, both very important as you get older. It’s important to listen to your body in these types of exercises, so don’t be afraid to use your own body weight instead of exercise equipment if you have no experience with strength training! Be sure to talk with your doctor or a trainer to find the exercises that are right for you.
- Find your flex – Working on your flexibility can help improve your range of motion for daily activities, so it’s important to include some flexibility and balance exercises. Try yoga, stretching exercises or dancing to stay limber!
- Find your moment – At the end of the day, just making small changes to get moving will make a big difference. You can pick a farther parking spot to get a few more steps in, go for a hike with family or play with your grandchildren to help get your body moving and healthy. Find the activity you enjoy the most, and go with it!
