It is great to be active even when we are older however many of us become more aware and conscious of the risk of injury especially as our bodies and fitness levels change. You may be asking, what sports of exercise are best for seniors? Well, there’s a range of options available that we are going to talk about in this article, but ultimately it depends on the individual and their own personal goals.
First of all, there are four main activities to help keep you healthy. First is moderate activities that are for your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Second is strength activities to help maintain bone strength, flexibility activities to help you move more easily, and lastly, balancing activities to improve your balance and help prevent falls. It is always highly recommended to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or investing in quality hip protection.
Walking
Walking is a great exercise to help build your bone health and it is good for your heart too! Invite some friends over and start moving together. You not only exercise but you can socialize too. Start with a goal of completing 30 minutes a day at least four times per week. If you are worried about injuring yourself on uneven or cracked walking pathways, a treadmill is a great alternative. If you are afraid to get any injury, you can get hip protection for elderly.
Swimming
Swimming or exercising in the water reduces the impact on your joints. It can help improve your cardiovascular health and muscle strength and strengthen your ligaments and tendons too. If you want to level up, you can wear flippers or use leg weights while you’re swimming as they add more resistance and make your muscles work harder.
Tai Chi
Another low-impact activity that involves only gentle movement is Tai Chi. No fancy equipment is needed when you want to do Tai Chi and your muscles are usually relaxed rather than tensed. Your joints are not fully extended or bent and connective tissues are not stretched. You can also use hip protection for elderly if you want to be sure but having this sport will improve your flexibility and muscle strength without putting too much stress on your body and it will help improve your balance and reduce your risk of having a fall.
Yoga
Aside from physical health, yoga also helps reduce stress due to the relaxing and meditating properties of the various movements and stretches. It is also a low-impact exercise that can improve your core balance, strength, respiratory flow, and muscle flexibility especially when doing it multiple times a week.
Dancing
Having fun while doing exercise is what dancing is for. It is one of the most enjoyable ways to get a full-body workout. I can improve energy levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve memory and mood, and balance as well. If you have limited balance and capabilities, you can try seat dancing, which is a seated exercise, or line dancing, which puts less impact and stress on your joints. Having quality hip protection can also add to your confidence.
Bonus activity suggestion: Croquet
For a much lighter sporting activity, croquet is the perfect excuse to get outside and exercise at your own pace. It may not be the most intense workout you’ve ever had, but much like chess, this activity is very mentally stimulating and involves a lot of thought to solve the puzzle. It is also a great way to meet people and develop new friendships.
