Staying Active as You Age: Why It's Important

Developing or maintaining a regular fitness regimen can get difficult, and becoming older doesn’t make it any simpler. Health issues, chronic pain and worries about accidents or falls may make you feel discouraged as well.

Even in little ways, increasing your mobility and activity can have positive effects on your life. It’s never too late to get your body moving, improve your health and many more advantages regardless of your age or physical condition.

Read on to know more about the benefits and building an effective exercise plan, activities you can try out and how to stay motivated!

Benefits of Regular Exercise for Seniors

• It keeps off the extra weight

As we grow older, our metabolism naturally slows down, making it harder to stay at a healthy weight. Exercising regularly helps your metabolism and your muscles grow, increasing the calories your body burns.

• It lowers muscle tension

As we age, we begin to lose strength and muscle mass. Older folks who spend most of their time sitting still have more issues with their muscles. Muscles that are tense typically lack oxygen and essential nutrients.

• It helps you have better sleeping habits

Studies have shown that being active improves sleep. Exercise and other physical activities enhance your ability to fall asleep more quickly, sleep deeper and wake up more energized and well-rested. 

• It boosts your mood and self-esteem

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, and the endorphins it produces have been shown to lessen depressive, anxious and melancholy feelings. Being active can help you to feel more confident, too!

7 Tips on How to Get Started

One of the healthiest choices you can make as you age is to get more active, but you need to be safe!

1. Seek medical approval from your doctor before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have a pre-existing health condition. Ask them about any activities you ought to steer clear of.

1. Always consider your health condition. Be mindful of how they affect your workout plan. For example, if you’re a diabetic, you may need to modify your food plans and prescription intake when you’re setting workout schedules.

1. Start out slowly and steadily increase. Build up your fitness program gradually if you haven’t been active in a while. Try dividing two daily workouts into 10-minute intervals, or try on a session every week. Begin with simple chair exercises to gradually improve your fitness and confidence if you’re worried about falling.

1. Warm up and cool down to avoid injury and discomfort.

1. Plan a regular exercise regimen and motivate yourself to stick to it at least a few times a week so that it becomes a habit. You can incorporate your hobbies so it’s easier!

1. Practice mindfulness. Instead of losing yourself in the middle of a session, try to pay attention to how your body feels as you move, such as the rhythm of your breathing, how your feet rest or the way your muscles flex. Using mindfulness techniques will help you feel better physically, ease stress and anxiety more effectively and help you prevent injuries more effectively.

Despite the challenges associated with exercising when you have mobility concerns, you can always find entertaining methods to move around and enhance your health and well-being by using your creativity.

Building a Balanced Exercise Plan

Keep in mind that combining different activities keep your workout interesting and enhances your overall health. 

Cardio workouts make your heart race, and you could even feel out of breath afterward. Walking, stair climbing, swimming, hiking, cycling and rowing are some examples of cardio exercises. Enhancing stamina for daily tasks like walking, housecleaning and errands, also fosters independence.

The Smart Treadmill offers a wide range of advantages and is great for everyone who is just starting their journey toward better health and are very helpful in accomplishing many fitness goals.

Other than cardio workouts, it’s important to include these in your regular exercise:

Balance - helps you prevent falls and improve your posture.

Examples: Standing on one foot, walking heel-to-toe, yoga

Strength - makes your muscles stronger and develops your power and reaction speeds

Examples: Lifting weights, using resistance bands, doing body-weight exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups

Flexibility - stretches your muscles and improves your range of motions for daily physical activities.

Examples: stretching and yoga

Tips for Staying Motivated

Do you think it’s too challenging for you to stay active? Here are some ways to keep motivated:

• Concentrate on short-term objectives such as boosting your energy levels and reducing stress and body tension. 
• Treat yourself when you accomplish a new goal or just simply because you’re able to exercise that day. Pick something enjoyable that you save for after working out, such as watching your favorite show, taking a nice hot bath or having a spa time at home.
• Take note of your progress. It does not only keep you accountable, but also serves as a helpful reminder of your wins.
• Get help and support from a fitness buddy or a family member.

Whatever you decide to do, the most essential thing is to get started and keep up with it! As you get older, even a few minutes of working out can make a difference in your health. 

There’s no perfect time to begin and get moving

Prioritizing and developing the habit of being active is good for you, no matter how old you are. Not only does it improve your health and well-being, but also boost your cognitive performance. We hope this article will inspire you to include exercising in your daily routine!

Ready to take on an active lifestyle? Make sure to check out the RENPHO Smart Treadmill now!