5 Ways to Encourage Seniors to Exercise

Why is exercise important?

Exercise can often be superficially regarded as only being necessary for weight loss, or aesthetic purposes. This can often brand exercise as something that mostly young people engage in, or those who want to lose weight. Exercise for seniors is no exception. Exercise is actually an incredible tool to maintain all kinds of facets of our health, including heart health, emotional health, and for mitigating unpleasant diseases that can occur in older age, like type 2 diabetes. 

Heart health

Exercise is the best thing you can do to keep your heart healthy. Cardio exercise is called just that because it assists your cardiovascular system – your heart and lungs – to work more efficiently. Exercise that elevates the heart rate and leaves you a little bit breathless works wonders for improving your heart health – by lowering your blood pressure, lowering your resting heart rate, and managing cholesterol levels. You can run into heart problems like heart attacks, angina (heart pain), strokes, and arrhythmias if you are not properly taking care of your heart.

Mental mealth

Exercise has both immediate and long-term benefits for your mind and mental health. In the short term, exercise releases endorphins – those feel good chemicals in your brain that make you feel elevated and happy. If you’re exercising with a friend, or in nature, these things can elevate your mood and leave you feeling more positive and uplifted afterwards. In the long-term, exercise helps keep your feel-good neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, stay regular. These neurotransmitters are responsible for managing your mood, alleviating anxiety, and warding off depression.

Lung health

Much like heart health, exercise can be a miracle worker for improving lung function. Exercising improves the strength and function of whichever muscles you’re using at the time – and this includes lung strength! Exercising also enables your body to better obtain and use oxygen in the body, and your muscles eventually need less oxygen to perform the same tasks – meaning that your breathing improves as your exercise, and you feel less tired after completing exercise and daily tasks.

Pain management

Exercise can be invaluable in managing day-to-day pain. Exercise reduces blood pressure and inflammation in the body, both which contribute to a worse experience of pain when they are high. A healthy cardiovascular system also reduces symptoms of pain. As mentioned above, exercise aids in keeping your mind healthy – and a more positive outlook and better mental health are also thought to lower one’s experience of pain.

Mobility

Depending on the type of exercise you’re doing, it can be extremely beneficial for remaining mobile and independent. Many older adults can lose their mobility quite rapidly as they age, and this removes their ability to remain independent and complete daily tasks on their own. Loss of mobility can be due to things like arthritis, chronic pain, or recent surgery like hip or knee replacements.

Keeping active keeps your muscles and joints mobile and active. Ever heard the term, ‘use it or lose it’? That’s absolutely true when it comes to your body! If you fall into a sedentary lifestyle, you will lose the ease of moving and living that your body used to have. A loss of mobility can lead to nasty health complications, like pressure sores, arthritic pain, or weight gain leading to high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. Keeping your muscles and joints strong will be invaluable as you age. 

Social connection

Many older adults lament the loss of social engagement and a sense of community as they age. Remaining socially connected is imperative for our mental health, positive outlook, and sense of belonging and community. Older people who have social and community engagements also rate their health to be better than those who don’t! Exercise for seniors can be a great way to form bonds, so exercising in groups or with a friend is not only a great way to stay accountable and motivated, but also to nurture friendships.

Why should older people prioritise exercise?

Exercise is something we should all be regularly engaging in across our life – but it becomes more important as you age. Older adults are more susceptible to a myriad of health problems and conditions. Some are directly related to exercise, like poorer mobility, flexibility and bone density. Others are the natural entropy of ageing – like heart health and the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, exercise for older people is an incredible improver for all these declines in ability, as well as risk of disease.

It can seem paradoxical that as older adults lose mobility and strength, and seem to encounter more pain day-to-day, their exercise should be maintained or increased. However oxymoronic, exercise is almost magic in the way it can improve the older person’s experience of these common ailments. Older people should be aiming for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Barriers to exercise for older adults

Lack of transport

Some older adults may not feel confident driving, or navigating public transport. Not being able to access the location of a group class or exercise area can be a barrier for older people. Accessing help to assist in your loved one accessing transport can be an excellent way to reduce this barrier.

Lack of confidence

Fear of injury, being too embarrassed to begin, or perceiving to lack the necessary skills to exercise can all hold someone back from beginning – no matter their age! It’s important to remember that nobody starts anything with all the skills and knowledge to do it the best on the first go. Doing any kind of movement – however imperfect – is better than none at all.

Pain or injury

Pain can be a big factor in avoiding exercise, as it’s assumed more activity will worsen the pain – when actually, the opposite is true. It’s also ironic that avoiding exercising due to the fear of injury can actually increase the chances of an older person becoming injured. Strong bones and muscles can ward off fractures or breaks of bones, and assist in ensuring the older adult remains mobile and independent.

Cognitive decline

Cognitive decline can be a huge barrier in beginning to exercise. If older adults feel their cognition or memory is worsening, and see this as a reason to not begin exercising, ensure they are reminded that their physical health can continue to be tended to, even if they are struggling with cognition. Ensure they have someone to accompany them when they begin lightly exercising, such as going for walks in the park, or participating in aqua fitness.

Best exercises for older adults in Melbourne

Power walking

Ok, so it doesn’t have to start off especially powerful – but as long as you’re walking at a pace that gets your heart beating faster and leaves you a little out of breath, then you’re doing amazing things for your heart, and that’s power walking! Walking is safe, free, and a social way to get your 30 minutes a day of exercise in. There are walking groups all over Melbourne that you can join to keep you social and accountable.

Cycling

If you’re comfortable riding a bike, cycling can be a great, low-impact way to build strength and mobility in the legs, as well as it being excellent for the heart. Make sure you wear a helmet and stick to routes that are flat and accessible. Cota Victoria has group cycling all over Melbourne that you can access – including groups that ride as slowly as you need to begin!

Tai chi

Tai Chi – a slow Chinese martial art – is a wonderful practice for anyone of all ages, but especially seniors, due to its slow paced, accessible movements. It’s great for improving strength, balance and mobility – plus, due to its slow and mindful movements, it’s also excellent for quieting the mind and focusing on relaxation. Tai Chi Australia runs seniors exercise classes all around Melbourne, so you can learn a new skill while socialising and being outdoors.

Aqua aerobics

Aqua Aerobics is an awesome way to stay fit, get social and work on strength and flexibility. Most indoor pools across Melbourne will offer aqua aerobics on their timetable – with a discount for seniors! During the class, you’ll use props in the water to work on functional movements that increase muscle mass and get your heart rate up – usually to a great soundtrack. It’s a super social activity, too, so tee up with your friends and get down to your local pool.

Tennis

You don’t have to be serving crazy 200km/h serves to enjoy a spot of tennis – and there’s a plethora of courts to choose from across Melbourne. Tennis is a great way to get some sun and some socialising in, without even realising you’re exercising. Most centres will allow you to rent racquets and balls, so you don’t need to worry about being too prepared. Tennis can help build arm strength, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness.

Lawn bowls/bocce

Lawn Bowls (or Bocce) is an awesome game to play to stay social and mobile while getting some fresh air. This slow-paced game can help you work on mobility and flexibility, as well as hand-eye coordination, so it keeps the brain healthy, too. There are centres all over Melbourne, so gather your friends and head down on a sunny day.

Exercises to avoid (as a beginner!)

The rule for beginning exercise applies to people of all ages – don’t go too hard too fast! If you are not a runner, don’t leave the house expecting to run kilometres at a time. If you have never used weights in exercise, don’t walk into a gym and pick up whichever weight you see first and try to lift it! Work with what you are already confident with and slowly build up. This may mean beginning at walking for ten minutes a day, or swimming only a few laps. The dreams of BMX competitions, pole-vaulting days or gymnastics routines may have to take a back seat. However, if you are already apt or proficient in any of these exercises, keep going! You are the expert in knowing your own body and limits, and if you are already trained in a certain sport and understand how to mitigate injury or decline, then keeping engaged in something you love is always the best way to go.

How to assist your loved one to start exercising

1. Encourage them to start small

Your loved one may be apprehensive to begin exercising. Offer them to start in the home – do some light stretching or aerobic-like exercises when you visit to build their confidence. You may wish to find an online exercise program for seniors and participate in it together via a computer. Offer to take a walk around the block, emphasising that it’ll boost their energy and help them feel good for the rest of the day. Encouraging them to begin in these small ways will improve their confidence for bigger exercises down the track.

2. Accompany them

If they’re facing issues of transport or confidence, accompany them to their first few exercise sessions. After seeing a doctor to make sure there’s no underlying cardiovascular or mobility issues that may be a barrier to some exercise, offer them the option to have you attend their exercise with them – maybe it’s a long walk, an aqua aerobics class, or tai chi in the park. 

3. Engage some extra help

Engaging a trusted professional to help your loved one get ready for the day and access their exercise of choice could be invaluable in kick-starting their exercise regime. It can be daunting for someone to begin something new, especially if they lack some of the independence required in booking the activity or managing transport there. Having someone to help them at home, and when they get there, can reduce these barriers to exercise.

4. Find an exercise group

It could be hard for your loved one to know where to begin looking, if they’re interested in an exercise group. Using the resources and ideas in this article, you could compile a list and see which activity is most feasible for your loved one to take part in. 

5. Make it fun!

Contrary to popular belief, exercise does not have to be a chore. It can be liberating and super enjoyable to try something new and move your body. Try shifting your loved one’s perspective around exercise and explain how exciting it could be to learn a new skill and meet people in the community. If walking seems boring, offer aqua aerobics. If aqua aerobics seems like too much preparation is involved, offer Tai Chi. See if you can figure out the main barriers to beginning exercise, and find the one that would be the least chore-like and the most enjoyable for your loved one.

It’s truly never too late to start anything new – and that’s the same for exercise! If the benefits of exercise could be bottled up and sold as a pill – everyone would want their hands on it. So why not start doing yourself an enormous favour and incorporating some exercise into your day? Regardless of whether you’re finding inspiration to start yourself, or you’re supporting a loved one to begin, remember to take it slow, show yourself compassion, and remember that any kind of movement is better than none.

Need some assistance with home care for yourself or your loved one?  Find out how Homage can help!