Senior citizen lifestyles vary so much. There are some elderly people who can’t get up and do much due to bone loss, pain, and other health issues. There are some elderly people who are still very mobile and like to get out of their house and do things. You will also find there are senior citizens in the middle of these two classifications. The truth is that no matter what stage of life your elderly loved one is in they do need to try exercising regularly. Even if your elderly loved one isn’t very mobile, exercising could help them to do more each day.

Keeping it Light

Even if your elderly loved one does have some health issues that prevent them from really working out, that may not mean they can’t exercise at all. In fact, many senior citizens are able to keep their workouts light. For example, you or a senior home care provider could go to your loved one’s home and stay with them while they walk inside their home for 5 minutes at a time. Even if they can only get up and move around for a few minutes at a time, multiple times a day, that is better than not exercising at all.

Risks of Inactivity

As a family caregiver, it is crucial that you know about the risks of inactivity for elderly people. Some of these risks include:

• Faster bone loss
• Reduced muscle mass
• Increased pain
• More digestive issues
• Increased risk of falling

Now that you know about some of the risks of being inactive, you and home care providers can encourage your elderly loved one to move around throughout the day. It may even be a good idea for your elderly loved one to have scheduled times that they are mobile. That way, there aren’t multiple days in a row where they aren’t moving around much.

Improved Mental Health State

Your elderly loved one likely knows that being more mobile and working out will be good for their physical health. However, are they aware of the benefits it can have on their mental health? Studies show that exercising can improve mental health in numerous ways including:

• Lowering stress
• Reducing anxiety
• Balancing mood
• Relieving depression
• Helping to boost happiness
• Improved focus

These are just some of the many ways that regular exercise can positively impact your elderly loved one’s mental health.

Conclusion

Exercise has many positive impacts on the elderly. If you are taking care of your elderly loved one, you and the senior home care providers should encourage them to exercise regularly. It can improve their physical, emotional, and mental health.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring  senior home care in Laurens, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304477/

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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