Low-Impact Exercise Ideas for Seniors

Exercise is important at any age, but it’s especially vital for seniors. When older people keep moving, their health is better, and they feel better. Why? Because regular exercise helps alleviate medical conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis, as well as improving the immune system, lowering blood pressure, and improving balance and flexibility. What’s more, exercise can provide cognitive, physical, and emotional benefits as well. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get moving, and we have some great suggestions for where to start!

• Water workouts are great for your joints. Whether you’re swimming laps or doing water aerobics, exercising in the water provides an amazing, low-impact, full-body workout. Because the water supports your body, you’ll put less stress on your joints, and pushing against the water helps strengthen your muscles. While you’re in the water, your body can move blood around more easily, so your heart doesn’t feel the strain of working out on land, and because there’s less gravity, you’ll have a greater range of motion. On a hot day, it’s easier to exercise for longer when you’re in the cool water and being in the water is fun!
• Taking a walk is easy and effective. Even just a few blocks of walking can stretch and strengthen your muscles and get your heart pumping. Regular walking helps people maintain weight, lowering their risk of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, and other illnesses, and walking can help some people lower their blood pressure. When you walk, you improve your balance and coordination, so you’ll be less likely to fall. Walking can help keep your joints flexible, improve your energy levels, and even reduce your risk of anxiety and depression. Walking can be a fun social activity, too, if you find a buddy or a group to join you on your walks.
• Gardening can be good exercise. When you work in the garden, you bend, lift, and move without really even thinking about it. If you have trouble with too much bending, try a raised bed to make gardening easier.
• Cycling, yoga, and elliptical training are all low–impact exercises. If you enjoy working out, these exercises are great for getting your blood circulating and strengthening your cardiovascular system. They’ll also help you with your balance, which is very important as we get older. Best of all, it only takes 15 minutes a day to make a difference for your health.

If you’re an active adult looking for the perfect community to call home, consider Larkspur at Shadow Creek. A family-owned and managed 55 plus community, we offer resort-style apartments in Pearland, Texas, with an emphasis on active living. We give our residents the chance to transition from the responsibilities and burdens of home ownership to a lifestyle of convenience and luxury, full of new friends, new activities, and new adventures. To learn more about life at Larkspur at Shadow Creek, call 832-376-8414, or contact us through our website.