Being old
doesn’t mean that you are starting a sedate, lethargic, and lacklustre life.
Rather it is a solid reason to start an active lifestyle and involve yourself
in things which you love most. It is time for you to follow your passion forsinging,
painting, playing the organ, or traveling.A fit body and a fresh mind can be a
real booster to pursue your favourite hobbies.
According to
the annual report (2019) of the World Health Organization, an elderly citizen
requires a minimum tenure of one hour of sports and physical activities.Activities
like swimming, Yoga, Aerobics, cycling, polo per day are good for a healthy
body.
Here we will
discuss5 popular sports and fitness activities for elderly citizens.
Pursuing
your passion in the second half of your life is important. Happy surrounding
and enthusiastic participation decrease your stress level from your daily life.
1.Walking
30 minutes of regular walking can increase cardiovascular fitness and
decrease the rate of different cardiac arrests. Walking is the top most popular
physical activity for the elderly. Regular walking (even in a treadmill) helps
you to keep your body healthy. It enhances muscular movements, strengthens your
bones, decreases stress levels. It also prevents obesity.
Why should you choose walking in
your daily life?
It is very important to spend quality time with your own company in the
second half of your life. Try to discover the unopened chapters of your life
and take the delight of it. Walking is not only a good exercise but also a
refreshing and recharging event of your daily routine.
The World Health Organization claimed that 10 thousand steps every day
help you to increase cardiac capacity and blood circulation. It is infactvery
important for an elderly person. Often
the rate of cardiac arrests and manyother complications are found in that
elderly persons who are not in the habit of regular walking.
Walking in the fresh air might be a
wonderful beginning of your day. It
has a psychological benefit of exercise for
elderly citizens. Maximum time aging causes psychological issues like
depression. Regular walking can increase the rate of oxygen consumption in the
brain-cells which helps to prevent depression. Walking doesn’t require any
extra investment. Just take a comfortable walking shoe, a water bottle and a
cell phone for emergenciesmaybe a walking stick for some and you are good to go.
Regular walking tips for you
It is not so
difficult to find 30 minutes for walking from 24 hours. If you don’t want to
walk 30 minutes continuously then break it into some small parts. Regular
walking into your daily lifestyle plan in some most effective ways like:
●
Avail public transport and get off
one stop before and walk the rest distance.
●
Try to avoid car availing while go
for shopping in the local market. Try to cover the distance by walking.
●
If there is a park near your
residence then make a plan for a regular morning walk with a couple of
enthusiastic neighbours.
●
Walk with your (pet) dog or your neighbour’s
dog. It might be a loving experience for your daily life.
●
To enhance the walking performance,
you can wear a pedometer while walking. It shows how many steps you covered.
Walking can
also make a perfect mental attachment with your life-partner in the fragrance
of morning air. Get those romantic days back and give a deep hug to your
soulmate every morning and start your day in a pleasant mood.
2.Swimming
Sports activity for the elderly such as swimming another exciting option
to stay healthy. Swimming has a handful of health benefits mainly for elderly
citizens who are suffering from chronic conditions such as asthma, cardiac
diseases, arthritis, diabetesand joint pain.
Healthy benefits of Swimming for the
elderly
●
Increases your pulmonary fitness
●
Reduces the probability of heart
attack, stroke, and cerebral attacks
●
Increases muscle endurance and
strength
●
Reduces unnecessary body fat and
keep you healthy
●
Swimming tones your outer body part
and muscles
●
Improves your flexibility, balance,
proper coordination and body posture even you are 65+
●
Provide apleasant
and shortest way to cool down on the summer days.
Apart from muscle strength and cardiovascular health, swimming also
provides physical relaxation by gently massaging your entire body. It gives a
complete workout to enhance the immunity power in your old age. You can burn
more calories during a swimming session. Water is 800 times denser than air;
your every single movement in the water is more effective than the air.
Do not hesitate to swim for your age. It is a low impact sport for
elderly citizens which may bring a lot of health benefits and great pleasure in
your daily life.
Before
starting a swimming session, you need to keep in mind:
●
Make sure that you know the process
of swimming
●
Select a safe and comfortable
environment before diving in
●
Do a bit ofwarm-up and stretch your
joints and muscles before entering the pool
●
Consult your physician and elderly
sports club if you already have any physical complication
●
Don’t overdo it the beginning stage
●
Take plenty of balanced diet and
water regularly
Just because of your age, it doesn’t mean that you have to limit
yourself and not participate in a pleasant swimming session like your young neighbours.
3.Yoga
‘Yoga’ the term refers to a spiritual connection with your inner soul
and outer world through your proper body movement. Always a flow of cosmic
energy exists in our surroundings which insistson us to make a healthy physical
and psychological life.
Is Yoga meant only for youngsters?
Absolutely not. Yoga, a 5000 years old tradition is as beneficial to seniors
like youngsters. It refreshes your spirit and mind. Ittones your muscles and
body, keeps the hormonal secretions in a balanced form. It also prevents the
possibility of elderly complexes.
With a quotation from the famous Yoga master Shri Ravi Shankar, we are
starting our core discussion.
“The Sanskrit term Yoga means a
study of life, a study of your mind, breath, intellect, memory and also your
inner faculties.”
This ancient Indian technique is highly appreciable low impact sports for
the elderly citizens. A large number of physical care units for the elderly
include Yoga in their list of the ‘games for the elderly in nursing homes’.
Today the whole world becomes aware of the benefits of this physical
activity and consider seated sports for seniors.Chair Yoga is becoming one of
the popular physical activity among senior citizensfor its surprising results.
Now you have an option to invest yourvaluable time and contact a local elderly
sports club or a personal trainer to experience the power of Yoga.
Areas it covers
❖
Core muscle: Different
types of Yoga poses areincluded in the routineto strengthen thestiff muscles. This
can cure your inflexibility, lethargy and muscle pains.
❖
Lungs and
heart:There are some specificYogaposes, thatcan enhancethe function
of lungs and heart.These Yoga poses can thereby decrease the chances of any
cardiac issues.
❖
Joints: Joint pain,
Osteoarthritis are two common problems faced by elderly citizenswhich can be
effectively reduced with regular Yoga sessions.
Different forms of Yoga especially for the elderly:
Hatha: Hatha
combines a special series of some basic movements with proper breathing. It is
the most common Yoga and is preferred as an indoor exercise to for the elderly
in nursing homes.
Vikrama: Vikrama is a
series of 26 numbers of different challenging poses which are usually performed
in a high-temperature room. It is highly effective for those elderly peoples
who are constantly suffering from Ortho diseases.
Vinyasa: A series of
smooth poses of arms and legs to keep the flexibility of your body even in old
age.
Ashtanga: 8 different
‘Asana’ or seating posture with proper breathing rhythm is known as ‘Ashtanga. This
form of Yoga is recommended for those seniors who are suffering from
psychological problems regarding physical issues.
In this graph, we found the
gradually increasing rate of healthy-life of elderly citizens after completing
the Yoga sessions.
4.Cycling
Due to a lack of exercise in the elderly community, doctors have faced a
handful of geriatric cases every year. To stayhealthy in the second half of
your life, you need to follow some proper guidance. Along with a proper diet
and sufficient hydration, some physical activities are always beneficial for
you.
Cyclingis one such globally accepted sports activities for the elderlythat
will take care of your physical flexibility. Apart from a hobby, it can also beregular
workout. It helps you to prevent cardiac and ortho issues.
Main benefits of cycling for the
elderly
●
Low impact: Cycling is
one of thelow impact sports for the elderly. When you are cycling, your entire
body moves in a smooth and rhythmic motion which doesn’t overstress on your
body.
●
Weight loss: Do you face
over-weight or obesity in your elder age? We recommend, you to start cycling as
early as possible. Weight loss is a serious problem for seniorsand cycling is an
ideal way to stay fit and active.
●
Cardiac
protection: Heart diseases, heart attacks, and stroke are the
most common issues for elderly citizens globally. It might increase the death
rate among them. Cycling for 30 minutes can keep these ailments at a safe
distance from you. It is one of the best ways to increase the capacity of your
heart. Constant rhythmic movementwhile cyclinghelps the cells to oxygenate
properly.
5.Water Aerobic
There are multiple ways to stay active as an elderly person and it is
not so difficult to include physical activity in your daily routine. Exercise
in the water is a great way to prevent your ortho problems as well as coughing
issues. Any kind of joint pain simply rushes away by water aerobics. So, don’t
waste your time and engage yourself with an unopened journey.
Why Water Aerobic is effective for
an elderly citizen?
According to
the geriatric care unit of WHO, Water Aerobic is one of the most beneficial
Physical sports activities for elderly citizens.
●
It increases your body flexibility
surprisingly.
●
Water Aerobics can improve the
functions of the lungs and heart and prevent multiple cardiac diseases
●
It relieves your joint pain and
symptoms of Arthritis.
●
To prevent blood circulatory
problems, Water Aerobic is the best among all others.
●
Aerobic enlightened your mental outlook in an
effective way.
●
Water pressure helps you to increase
your balancing ability and prevent the chances of falling on your daily life
Some safety
tips for you during participate in Water Aerobic session
●
Before joining an Aerobic session,
you need to consult your physician because it is important to know your
physical condition before starting a new journey.
●
Contact an elderly sports club to
start your journey safely.
●
Always try to maintain the
instruction of your coach to perform safely as well as properly
●
Don’t try to overdo it the beginning
stage
●
Take plenty of balanced diet and
water regularly
At the last
point of our discussion, we can say that from the age of 60 maximum numbers of
elderly citizens are facing multiple complications. But the recommended sports
and fitness activities for seniors can be beneficial for maintaining a fit and
healthy body. Becoming old doesn’t mean that your activities become
bracketed. The time has come to change your typical thoughts and reorganized
them.
Comments
Post a Comment