You are never too old to get moving. The human body responds to exercise, no matter our age, and the health benefits are many. People over the age of 65, more than any other age group, require adequate fitness levels to maintain independence, recover from illness and reduce their increasing risk of disease.

With a shared commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors and their families through care and education, Home Instead has proudly partnered with Michelle Bridges, Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert to bring you Exercise for Seniors: A guide to help seniors move, mobilise and maintain fitness.

Regular exercise is essential for maintaining mobility, bone density, muscle mass and balance but also offers many more health benefits, including:

  • Lower risk of chronic disease such as heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and obesity.
  • Management of chronic conditions such as with arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol.
  • Higher levels of functional health and wellbeing.
  • Improved cognitive function.

MOBILITY

Our joints need regular movement to remain healthy and mobile. Being mobile is a crucial aspect of being healthy. If you can’t move your joints freely through the full range of motion, you are at an increased risk of injury.

BONE DENSITY

Our bone density begins to decline after the age of 40 and accelerates around the age of 50, making older people more prone to fractures. Weight-bearing exercise can help keep our bones healthy and strong and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures.

MUSCLE MASS

Our muscle mass slowly decreases with age. Adults who do not exercise are said to lose 3-8% of muscle mass per decade, and 5-10% after the age of 50 so we need to work to maintain and/or increase our muscle mass with regular exercise. As they say use it or lose it!

BALANCE

Good balance is important for many activities we do every day. Balance is definitely something that becomes harder to maintain with age and a lack of balance can lead to falls and injuries. Improving muscle strength, mobility and bone density all help in improving our balance.

For more information on Exercise for Seniors, download our FREE Sample Workout or watch the video here.