It’s important to stay fit and healthy, especially as you get older. Whether you are a senior yourself or looking out for your parents and grandparents, here are 5 benefits of exercise for the elderly.
Maintain or Lose Weight
Your metabolism naturally slows with age, so maintaining a healthy weight can become a challenge. Regular exercise helps increase your metabolism and build muscle mass, helping your body burn more calories with the added benefit of increasing your physical strength.
Reduce the Impact of Illness and Disease
Exercise can help reduce the risk and impact of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis and some cancers. Exercise can also improve your immune and digestive functions, as well as blood pressure and bone density.
Improve Mobility, Flexibility and Balance
If the first two benefits didn’t get you excited about exercise, this one will… Exercise improves your strength, flexibility and posture, which can assist with your balance and coordination. This means your risk of falls could also be reduced. In addition, strength training has been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of chronic conditions, such as arthritis.
Boost Brain Function
While activities like crossword puzzles and word searches can help keep your brain active, they don’t benefit you to the same degree as exercise. Regular exercise for the elderly can help prevent memory loss, cognitive decline and dementia. Physical activity can also improve multitasking abilities and creativity!
Enhance Mood
Finally, exercise releases endorphins into your body, which help reduce feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety. So, being active can help improve your mood in a very short period of time.
It’s never too late to find simple, enjoyable ways to become more active and reap the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. Get started today by joining VTAS Fitness Centre, where you’ll have access to cardio machines, free weights, floor mats and more!
