Mobility exercises for older adults, especially those in retirement, need to be included to support a healthy lifestyle and well rounded physical training program.
Exercises can keep your joints lubricated and flexible, improve self confidence and independence, reduce pain, decrease falling risks and improve the ability of performing day to day activities, such as lifting items, walking, bending over and opening jars. And regardless if these tasks are aided by those in a retirement community or assisted living facility, they are essential movements that underscore sufficient health and well-bring.
Before you start focusing on mobility exercises, it is important to receive guidance from your doctor or trained professional in your retirement community. This will help you develop a customized exercise program, especially if you’ve been immobile for a very long time. Here are some of the types of exercises that can improve mobility, cognitive function and overall quality of life.
Strength Exercises
These exercises build your older adult muscles, and even increase the metabolic rate. This keeps a check on your weight and blood sugar. Basic weight training exercises in the gym can help you work on large muscle groups to achieve your fitness goals. If you plan to go on more extensive endeavors while in retirement, then this type of exercise is key.
Community Stretching Exercises
These community exercises can provide older adults with free movement without pain. This will allow you to be more active when you’re older. Though stretching exercises provide you with mobility, they can’t improve your strength or endurance. When done with other member of your local retirement community in Peoria IL, they can have social benefits as well.
Endurance Exercises
These exercises include any activity that raise your heart rate. Some of these activities include jogging, walking, biking, swimming or raking leaves. These activities also enhance your breathing rate for extended periods. It’s important to build up your endurance level gradually, you should start with just 5 minutes of endurance activities at a time.
Balance Exercises
These exercises help you build leg muscles, and prevent unnecessary falls and accidents. According to most health experts and experience retirement community trainers, United States hospitals have more than 300,000 patients for broken hips every year. Most of them are older adults. Falling is the most common cause of these fractures.
In case you’re an older adult, it’s important to include balance exercises in your workout regime. This will help you avoid more problems when you get older. Balance exercises can make you independent by avoiding any disabilities that could be caused by falling.
Safety and Precautions
Being safe is very important in every successful workout program. When you’re an older adult, you shouldn’t exhaust yourself. It’s important to start your workouts gradually, and increase the intensity levels and time slowly.
If you’re new to workouts or exercising, you should start with just 5 minutes. This will get your body used to the exercises. When you’re exercising, you should wear comfortable clothing. It should not restrict any movements. It’s also important to wear appropriate footwear.
Lifestyle Changes at Your Local Retirement Community
In addition to this, you also need to drink lots of water during, before and after your workouts. This will help you prevent dehydration. In case you have health problems affecting your heart, you should be cautious.
Some ailments you should consider include rapid or irregular heartbeats, palpitations, undiagnosed and sudden weight loss, blood clots, shortness of breath, pneumonia, hernia, joint swelling or some other serious infection.
In case you experience dizziness, nausea, sudden pain or break out in sweat during exercising, you should stop exercising immediately. Once again, it’s important to consult a doctor before starting any exercises.
