As you get older, you might find that the body starts to resist your fitness journey. You want to stay in good shape but find it more and more difficult.
While you might not have the dexterity and fitness to keep up with some exercises, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the following!
Water Aerobics
Over the years, this has been one of the most popular exercises for older generations (and it’s not hard to see why!). With the buoyancy you get in the water, the body gets a helping hand with the exercises. In particular, this helps people with joint pain and arthritis. With less pressure and stress on the joints, you can enjoy exercise once again.
A standard water aerobics session might include leg lifts, aqua jogging, arm curls, flutter kicking, and more.
Pilates
Although coming into the spotlight somewhat now, Pilates actually has a long history that spans back over 100 years. Despite some small changes, the theme has remained the same throughout this time – to boost strength through low-impact movements. Using inflatables, mats, and balls, Pilates requires concentration and should improve core strength and range of motion.
The benefit of choosing Pilates is that you can tailor the exercises and movements around your own body. Do you struggle to get a full range of motion with your shoulders? Choose different exercises. Of course, you can also work with a trainer and they will personalise a plan for you.
Walking
Too often, we see people looking for all sorts of extravagant workout plans when the easiest exercise routine is to just put on some shoes and go for a walk. That’s right – get yourself some comfortable shoes and go walking with friends, a partner, or even by yourself. If you struggle for motivation, perhaps you can listen to some music, a podcast, or an audiobook?
Sadly, walking is often overlooked (even though it has the potential to bring great benefits to your overall fitness). According to many studies, the average person should aim for 10,000 steps per day. Walking alone can bring the following benefits:
- Improved fitness
- Lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke
- Better social life (when walking with others)
- Boosted mood and happiness
Ultimately, you just need to find what makes walking enjoyable for you. For example, it could be that you take a camera and snap some shots of wildlife while walking.
Chair Yoga
Ever wanted to get involved with the yoga trend but without all the extreme movements that it seems to encourage? If so, there is a solution because more older people are starting to enjoy chair yoga. As the name suggests, this is a form of yoga that takes place on a chair. While sitting, you’ll perform low-impact exercises to stretch the body, boost mobility, and aid flexibility and balance.
Suggested Reads: 3 Tips to Help You Find the Best Wellness Products
One of the benefits of choosing chair yoga is that you aren’t placing the body under lots of stress. Rather than pushing the joints, muscles, and bones, you’re doing it in a way that helps the aging body. To learn more, check out The House of Yoga teacher course and become an instructor for yourself and your close friends.
Tai Chi
At first, Tai Chi struggled to get attention as a serious suggestion. Now, it’s seen as one of the best exercise routines for the elderly. Once again, it’s a low-intensity workout focusing primarily on balance and flexibility. As well as the physical benefits, exercises like Tai Chi and yoga also help mentally as you relax and breathe deeply.
There you have it, five excellent and effective exercise routines for the aging body. Who says you can’t have fun with friends while exercising?
