How to Stay Sporty as a Senior

Regardless of age, you should participate in sports and fitness activities regularly. Staying active in your golden years helps you stay healthy and fit. NHS reports that unless you are a wheelchair user, you should reduce your sitting time and workout at least 150 minutes per week to prevent the risk of ill health from inactivity.

The lack of a sporting or exercise activity is causing severe health problems for seniors. Limiting your activities can reduce mobility or cause pains and aches when performing simple house chores. On the other hand, active individuals have a lower risk of various diseases, such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and heart disease. Here are some ways seniors can stay sporty.

Home Cardio

Cardio exercises are renowned for enhancing people’s heart rate. Suitable cardio exercises for seniors include jumping jacks, running in place, skipping in place, and lunge jumps. The best thing about cardio is that it helps individuals maintain brain functionality, lose weight, and maintain ideal cholesterol levels.

Once again, it’s advisable to consult a physician to discover the ideal exercise. Remember that the perfect exercise comes down to an individual’s objectives and fitness level.

Cycling

Cycling is an excellent way of reducing the risk of chronic illnesses and keeping in shape. This exercise burns more calories than jogging and has an insignificant effect on knee joints. The good thing about riding a bike is that it can help you lose weight, too.

As physicians say, cycling at least three times per week will boost your cardiovascular fitness. There are several cycling trails across the country where you can cycle and promote your well-being. Remember to use prescription sports goggles to protect your eyes before heading outdoors to hit these trails.

Yoga

Engaging in a favorite activity, such as yoga, can help seniors stay flexible and active. There are several yoga types, each with different difficulty and intensity levels. This exercise can help increase your well-being in several ways. Notable yoga benefits include relieving stress, lifting mood, and handling back pain, anxiety, and stress.

Swimming

Besides being a fun social activity, swimming offers your body a total workout because it comprises cardiovascular and muscular fitness. In a swimming session, your body builds muscle mass due to water resistance and torches many calories. On the other hand, the heart and lungs work hard to pump blood throughout the body resulting in improved cardiovascular health.

Walking

Walking is the simplest type of exercise to introduce to your daily life. Getting a 30-minute walk every day can improve your blood circulation without stressing the cardiovascular system. As said earlier, taking care of the circulatory system minimizes the risk of stroke and maintains perfect blood pressure.

Why Seniors Should Exercise

As a senior, you should engage in activities and exercises to maintain good health. However, some individuals think they should slow down on exercise as they age to avoid accidents and injuries.

Nothing could be further from the truth because physical activities provide seniors incredible benefits, such as controlling arthritis and maintaining healthy bones, muscle strength, and stamina. Physical exercises also boost memory.