September 29, 2017
Staying fit and mobile plays a large role in senior health. Naturally, our bodies change, but we don’t want them becoming immobile! Here are some tips to make your senior years more enjoyable and fit.
Continue doing your daily living tasks as much as possible. Taking a bath, even if it’s just a sponge bath, gives your arms a mini-workout. Cooking involves activity through tasks like: peeling vegetables, some walking, and bending to reach pots and pans.
Golfing provides fun: a chance for walking, bending, and maintaining flexibility. If getting out to a golf course isn’t possible for you right now, buy a mini-putting green you can use indoors. Even these will improve your ability to move more freely.
Several times a day, make it a point to stop and work on a flexibility exercise. For instance, stretch your legs while sitting in the recliner. Do five or six mini leg lifts or stretch your arms over your head and hold them there for a count of ten. All activities, even simple ones, increase your ability to move freely and with less pain.
Therapists have some fun ideas on staying fit – simple games you can play with your grandkids, like batting a balloon back and forth with a plastic racket.
By making a simple choice each day of staying mobile as much as possible, you increase your chances of living a more independent life.