With age, being active becomes increasingly important for better health and well-being. Strength training is especially important for seniors who want to maintain their muscle bulk, strengthen their bones, and improve their balance and mobility. Starting a strength training routine may seem hard, especially for seniors who have trouble moving around or don’t have the funds to join a gym.
However, there are ways that seniors can add strength training throughout the day, especially with home care services on their side.
Some of those ideas are explored below:
Start Gradually
It’s important to start any new exercise program slowly, but it’s especially important when seniors are new to strength training or have physical limits. Home care providers can encourage them to start with light weights or resistance bands and work on getting good form down before they add more weight or resistance.
Utilize Body Weight
Seniors can do many good power exercises with just their body weight. Bodyweight movements like squats, lunges, push-ups, and chair dips are great ways to work out many muscle groups without any extra equipment.
Use Common Household Items
When it comes to strength training, common household items can be quite useful. For instance, seniors can use water bottles, canned goods, or even bags of rice as substitute weights for bicep curls, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions.
Focus on Functional Movements
Functional movements mimic daily activities. For instance, things like walking, climbing stairs, and picking up things off the ground can all be examples of strength training. With home care services, aging seniors can confidently work on staying in shape while feeling safe that someone is around.
Practice Safety
Safety should always come first, but it’s especially important for seniors. Home care aides can remind them to warm up before working out, pay attention to how their body feels, and not do any moves that hurt. Additionally, before starting a new exercise routine, seniors should talk to their medical team.
Join a Group or Class
Many community centers, gyms, and senior centers offer group exercise classes targeted at seniors. Many of these classes are free or charge a sliding fee. Seniors can join with peers and get valuable advice from trained teachers who can ensure they do the exercises safely and correctly.
Stay Hydrated
Getting enough water and food is important for helping muscles grow and heal. To fuel workouts and improve health as a whole, seniors should drink a lot of water throughout the day and eat a balanced diet full of protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
Get Enough Sleep
It’s just as important to give the muscles time to rest and heal as it is to work them out. Seniors need to let their muscles heal by taking at least one day off between strength-training workouts.
Strength training doesn’t have to be scary, hard, or expensive. Seniors can get a lot out of strength training by starting slowly, using common household items as equipment, focusing on functional movements, and putting safety first. Additionally, home care providers can encourage them to be consistent each day and ensure they’re using the right form.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in La Jolla, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aaron Home Care. (619) 880-5522
A Trusted Home Care Agency Serving La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Diego, UTC, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, Bonita, Eastlake, and the surrounding areas.
Sources:
- https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/why-older-adults-should-pick-up-strength-training/
- https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/growing_stronger.pdf
- https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/functional-fitness-training-senior-edition
In 1999, Aaron was named Residential Program Manager of a group home for disabled adults in Arlington, Virgina. Here, he built a reputation for being compassionate with his clients and efficient in company operations. In the years that followed, Washington DC’s human services field went through unprecedented reform when the city was fined $11 million for the previously unchecked abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the very population it was supposed to protect. In 2005, Aaron was selected by a watchdog company to co-create and implement a monitoring system to safeguard and advocate for the system’s most vulnerable residents. This system is still in use today.
Aaron is now using his unique gifts and profound experience in the human service field to provide San Diego County Seniors with dependable, compassionate caregivers through Aaron Home Care.
He currently serves on the board of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council and is an active member of the Senior Advocate Network of San Diego.
Aaron Home Care is a member of the American Board of Home Care and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
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