The Benefits of Exercising as You Age

There are a myriad of studies that show the benefits of exercise over a life span. Exercising as you age provides both long term and immediate benefits. The more you incorporate exercise into your daily life, the greater the benefit of lowering the risk of certain diseases.

How Exercise Improves Your Life as a Senior

Exercise benefits anyone at any age. It should be a routine in everyone’s life. But there are certain benefits to exercise that make life as senior more beneficial.

1. Improving Mood

This is two-fold. Exercise releases certain chemicals that help make you feel good. But, exercise can also help you change your overall appearance to look and feel healthier. And in doing so can help you feel good about yourself. As a senior, it’s great to know that you can still be working to improve and feel good about the way that you look.

2. Increases Muscle Strength

This has increasing importance we all age. It’s necessary to maintain joints and muscles in our body. Regular exercise maintains and builds muscle. As we age we tend to lose muscle mass and function. So it’s vital to continue exercise as a way of mitigating aging factors.

3. Enhances Your Immune System

As we enter our senior years, our ability to fight illness can deteriorate. Incorporating exercise into daily routine can help. Exercise can help lower inflammation in the body and help circulate the white blood cells in our bodies. This, in turn, will helps fight off sickness.

Tips for Exercising as You Age

Many people, not only seniors, find exercise to be a menial task. But there are many methods to incorporate ways to make it enjoyable. There are a variety of ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life without turning it into something that you hate.

This can include:

Taking a walk through a local mall
Getting off the bus a stop early
Take the stairs if you can
Walk while you talk on the phone with anyone
Dance around to your favorite music
Play with pets in the yard or indoors
Take walks to your local park to look at plants and nature
Make your bed in the morning
Going grocery shopping

Conclusion

Exercise is a vital factor in your routine as you age. Hence, it can make a huge difference in the way that you or your loved one experience your senior years. As a result, making exercise a part of your daily tasks in a fun and healthy way will become an important component of your life. And as with anything, it’s important not to overdo it. Light to moderate exercise will definitely help you reap its positive benefits.

We at Homecare Powered by AUAF are dedicated to helping you live our your senior years to the fullest. If you have any questions for us, or how a caregiver can help you achieve this, give us a call at 773.274.9262