What Are the Best Types of Exercises for Your Elderly Loved One?

Senior Care in Alexandria VA

Exercise is so important for your elderly loved one’s current and future health. Before she begins any form of exercise, however, make sure that you talk to your loved one’s doctor. You absolutely must make sure that your loved one is physically able to exercise and that you know exactly how much exercise is right for her.

Aerobic Exercise

When most people think about aerobic exercise, they think about exercises that could be extremely taxing for an elderly loved one, such as running. Aerobic exercise actually involves anything that helps to get your loved one’s heart rate up for a few minutes at a time. Walking, swimming, and dancing are all examples of aerobic exercise. Your loved one might enjoy a mix of all of these activities.

Strength Exercises

Your loved one doesn’t have to lift weights like the big guys at the gym do, but lifting smaller weights isn’t a bad thing at all. Weight-bearing exercises that help to improve her strength help her muscles to build up the strength and the stamina that they need to help support the rest of her body. Light weights and resistance bands all can work well for your elderly loved one.

Stretching Exercises

Warming up and cooling down are two of the most essential parts of any exercise program and the same is true for your elderly loved one. By engaging in stretching exercises, your loved one can ease muscle and joint tightness. This also helps her to improve her flexibility which improves normal daily movements and can help her to reduce the risk of injury overall.

Balance Exercises

Having excellent balance is really important for your loved one, especially if she’s at any risk at all of falling. By engaging in activities that help her to develop better balance, your loved one can significantly reduce the risk of falls and injuries. Yoga and Tai Chi are both excellent forms of exercise for balance and they don’t require any additional skills.

Once you have a solid exercise plan for your loved one, let her elder care providers and other family members know about it so that they can pitch in, too.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Alexandria, VA, call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. 703-273-8818

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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