Exercise is important for improving overall health no matter your age, but for seniors, it can be difficult to perform the same exercises as most. There are many assisted living facilities that provide exercise sessions but not all seniors can join these activities. After all, if you push yourself to do exercises that do not suit your age and are not recommended you can get strains, injuries and sprains. If you are a senior and struggling with this issue, the following guide on simple exercises you can do in a senior care facility is for you.

  1. Yoga

  • Improves flexibility
  • Helps relieving stress
  • Strengthens muscles

Yoga for seniors includes breathing techniques, meditation and gentle exercises. Yoga uses a non-strenuous exercise approach, and it therefore appeals to older adults, particularly those with physical limitations.

  1. Tai chi

This age-old exercise combines deep breathing with specific movements which:

  • Improve overall health
  • Strengthen muscles
  • Improve balance
  • Increase motion range
  • Improve mind-body connection

It is particularly beneficial for older adults who have been avoiding exercise for a while, as it provides a slow start for them. Tai chi is recommended for individuals suffering from arthritis or chronic pain.

If you or your loved one uses a wheelchair, consider wheelchair tai chi, as demonstrated below:

  1. Swimming

Swimming is a great way to get in shape. It is a low impact exercise which is ideal for those suffering from neck and back injuries. It works out the muscles, heart and lungs and therefore serves as a full-body workout.

  1. Walking

Walking improves cardiovascular health. Walking can be done anytime anywhere, in the garden, mall, street, home lawn, anywhere. Walking regularly improves overall health and prevents obesity.

  1. Biking

This is for individuals who are looking for a low impact workout-routine. Beginners should avoid it but if done regularly, it can have many positive effects on your health and wellness.

Biking offers the following benefits:

  • Overall body conditioning
  • Improves cardiovascular health
  • Strengthens legs and core muscles

  1. Dancing

Dancing is a fun and pleasant way of incorporating exercise into your daily routine. If you cannot convince yourself to do exercise, dance. For dance exercise, all you need is some good music to get you moving. There are always dance classes that you can join, but there’s nothing like doing it your own way.

  1. Outdoor Activities

Outdoor activities include any activity which gets you up and moving – including gardening, rowing, golfing, hiking, yard work, playing tennis, and bird watching. These simple activities are actually great exercises that get your heart pumping and blood flowing, so find some activities you enjoy and make a point of doing them regularly to improve your health.

  1. Body Weight Exercises

The following body weight exercises are simple exercises that help in strengthening muscles as well as improve stamina. These exercises include sit ups, crunches, push-ups, squats, lunges, stairs step ups, knee extensions and pelvic tilts.

  1. Pilates

Focusing on the core muscles, Pilates combine strength training with conditioning movements and provide the following benefits:

  • Improves flexibility
  • Improves mental health
  • Strengthens muscles
  • Stabilizes back & stomach
  • Strengthens urinary muscles

  1. Free Weights

Free-weight exercises are not recommended if you are not a beginner. Once you have mastered any of the above exercises, you can then go for this one. It can be done at home or in the gym and helps muscles bulk up. You have the advantage of varying weights usage according to your level of strength with this exercise.

Shop Exercise Equipment

Pam is a long time resident of the Denver area. In 2009, her uncle Paul fell and was subsequently diagnosed with dementia. He lived with them for a short time with the support of home care. Due to the stairs and his level of dementia, she needed to transition him to an assisted living facility. Her experience taught her that she would enjoy helping seniors and their families alleviate the emotional stress of finding care options.

After several years of working side-by-side with Stacy, Pam took over Stacy’s Helping Hand when Stacy moved in 2013. As an Interim Care Manager, Pam utilizes over 5 years of experience working with hundreds of families who needed help understanding and finding care options. She has never forgotten how overwhelming it was to have to research and tour dozens of communities.