Exercising regularly as you grow older is crucial for maintaining a healthy mind and body. Staying active with physical exercise will boost your energy levels, help manage pain or symptoms of certain health conditions, and help the elderly patient maintain their independence. The following are simple and easy exercise suggestions that home care services can assist the elderly patient with.
The elderly can have a variety of reasons why they are reluctant to exercise. They might feel discouraged because of illness or other health conditions, concerned about getting injured or falling, they find exercise boring, or just feel that they are too old.
Some seniors feel that exercise is only for the young and strong. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Having an in-home care provider to encourage and assist with incorporating an exercise routine, can improve the elder’s overall well-being.
Home health care servicescan help incorporate the following exercises into an elderly patient’s daily routine to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance:
- Chair Stands: Strengthen stomach and thigh muscles
Sitting towards the front of a chair with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, place a pillow against the back of the chair. Keeping your back and shoulders straight, recline back on the pillow. Then using your hands as little as possible raise your upper body to an upright position no longer leaning on the pillow. Again, using your hands as little as possible, slowly stand up. Sit back down slowly and repeat in increments of 10 to 15. The in-home care provider should be there to encourage the elder to keep their back and shoulders straight throughout the exercise.
- Heel-to-Toe Walk: Improve balance
This is an exercise that seniors can do anytime or anywhere. Position the heel of one foot just in front of the toes on the other foot, touching or almost touching. Proceed to walk by alternating the heel to toe step. Standing on one foot is also helpful to improving balance.
- Endurance Exercises
Activities that increase your breathing and heart rate, such as walking, swimming, jogging, biking, and even yard work, help to build up endurance. Start slowly and gradually work your way up to longer periods of time.
- Stretching to Increase Flexibility
Stretching before and after exercises increases flexibility. It promotes freedom of movement. Stretch into a position as far as you can without feeling pain and hold for up to 30 seconds.
With the help and encouragement of home care services, the elderly patient could be well on their way to exercising regularly and reaping the many benefits.
If you or an aging loved on are considering hiring home care services, please contact the caring staff at Total Care Connections (520) 447-4711. We provide quality Home Care & Assisted Living Placement Serving Tucson, Green Valley, Oro Valley, and Surrounding Areas!
