Top 5 Exercise Tips for Seniors

Staying physically active and exercising regularly can benefit a person of any age. While older adults may not be able to do all the same types of activities they did when they were younger, many seniors today are still able to enjoy a large range of exercises from strength and resistance training to aerobic and endurance.

In addition to keeping your body healthy, exercise can also improve your long-term mental health. Many medical conditions are improved with exercise, including Alzheimer's and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity.

To help you get into a regular exercise regime, we’ve put together our top 5 tips for seniors:

1. Start slow
In the beginning stages, take it slow and don’t push your body to do anything too strenuous. Participating in low impact activities such as walking, swimming and exercising with light hand weights are great way to build up strength. This will help you keep energised throughout your workout and improve your fitness gradually without burning out.

2. Warm up and cool down
Regardless of age, this is important to support your body before and after exercise. Warm up exercises will slowly increase your heart rate to help raise your body temperature and increase the blood flow to your muscles, preparing them for the upcoming activity. Cooling down after exercise slows down your level of activity gradually in order to bring down your breathing, body temperature and heart rate to normal. As a result, you’ll reduce pain and decrease the risk of injury.

3. Drink plenty of fluids
No matter the season, it is important to keep your body well hydrated. If you're working out especially hard, choose drinks that replace fluids plus essential electrolytes.

4. Try something new
You’re never too old to learn something new, and exercise is a great way to do just that. There’s a great range of exercises available with new and exciting workouts being introduced every day, giving you the chance to discover fun new activities to keep you motivated.

5. Listen to your body
Hold off on exercise when you feel sick or fatigued. If you do not listen to your body, you risk injury. Give your body a break and stop what you are doing if you feel pain or discomfort during exercise. If the pain continues, consult your doctor to make sure you’re doing the right type of exercise for you.