THE BEST EXERCISES FOR SENIORS

Exercise is crucial for older adults, but it can be hard to know where to begin.

Before you launch into an exercise regimen, it’s important to check with a physician to ensure you’re healthy enough for exercise, and to see which exercises are ideal for your fitness level.

WATER AEROBICS

Exercising in the water is ideal for those living with arthritis and other forms of joint pain, as the buoyancy of the water puts less stress on your joints. Additionally, water brings natural resistance, which eliminates the need for weights in strength training. Water aerobics exercises improve your strength, flexibility, and balance.

CHAIR YOGA

Like water aerobics, chair yoga is a lowimpact form of exercise that improves muscle strength, mobility, balance and flexibility, all of which are crucial health aspects for seniors. Chair yoga is an accessible form of yoga that provides less stress on muscles, joints, and bones than more conventional forms of yoga. As an added bonus, chair yoga has been shown to improve mental health in older adults.

RESISTANCE BAND WORKOUTS

Resistance bands are stretchy strips of rubber that add resistance to workouts with reduced stress on your body. Resistance band workouts are user-friendly, and accessible for beginners. This form of exercise is growing more popular among seniors because of the relatively cheap up-front costs of materials, which makes resistance band workouts ideal for at-home exercise. Additionally, these exercises are ideal for strengthening your core, which improves posture, mobility, and balance.

BODY WEIGHT WORKOUTS

Muscle loss can be devastating for older adults. Body weight workouts are one of the best ways to counteract the effects of muscles in older adults. One of the key benefits of body weight workouts is the affordability. Most body weight workouts require workout clothes and a mat to soften impact with the floor.