Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, people are being forced to stay inside to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being. With all this time indoors, however, it can be tough to remain active and easy to fall into a sluggish lifestyle. It is important to be comfortable and take time for yourself, but it is also crucial to engage in some sort of regular activity to maintain your health.
This is especially the case for seniors because they are already more susceptible to poor health. With regular exercise, elderly individuals can strengthen their heart, increase their strength, and improve mobility among other benefits. Exercise has also been known to improve one’s mental state.
Knowing this, make sure your elderly loved ones are staying active during the COVID-19 quarantine. Continue reading for information on easy home exercises for seniors.
Always Stretch
Before you engage in any physical activity, you should always stretch first. This is important for injury prevention and stretching will help warm up your muscles. Furthermore, do not rush with your stretches. Rather, take your time to ensure you stretch your muscles well before doing the following senior exercises.
Upper Body Workouts
Arm Raises
Arm raises are great home exercises for seniors because they can be done whether the elderly individual is standing or sitting down. You just need light weights to use.
With your feet flat on the ground, hold the weights at shoulder height. Raise your arms to lift the weights above your head, and repeat. Complete two sets of 10 raises.
Wall Push-Ups
Push-ups can be a difficult exercise to do, but wall push-ups are a great alternative that is still effective at strengthening your arms and chest.
Face a wall, standing two feet away from it. Put your hands on the wall at the same height as your shoulders. Then, bend your arms, bringing your elbows near your sides. Make sure your body remains straight to ensure the exercise as effective as possible. Push against the wall to straighten your elbows and repeat.
Aim for 5 to 8 wall push-ups, but do not overwork yourself. Do what you can for now, and you can strengthen your body into doing more later on.
Lower Body Workouts
Knee Lifts and Extensions
Another exercise that can be done while sitting, knee extensions can help improve your balance, which can be especially beneficial for elderly individuals if they have a high falling risk.
Sit in a chair, maintaining a straight back and good posture. Extend your legs slowly to unbend your knees. Hold the position for a couple seconds, and then lower your legs back to the bent knee position. You can do one leg at a time or lift both simultaneously. Whichever way you choose to complete the exercise, do it 10 times for each leg.
Chair Squats
Squats are an excellent exercise for not only your legs but your core as well. However, it is not a safe exercise for all seniors, particular those who have knee problems. So, if elderly individuals have knee concerns, then they should consult with their doctor before engaging in squats.
To do chair squats, stand in front of a chair. You can use it as a guide to properly do squats if necessary.
The exercise is called chair squats, because your squatting movement will mimic that of sitting down in a chair. You will want to keep your feet shoulder-width apart with an upright chest and shoulders. Slowly bend your knees as though you are going to sit down. If need be, you can lightly sit down on the chair, but hold the position for a moment. Then, stand back up.
Toe Lifts
Toe lifts are another type of home exercise for seniors that will strengthen your legs and improve your balance. It is also really simple and can be done while doing other activities. All you need to do is stand behind a stable chair, table, or counter. Place your hands on the surface and rise up as high as you comfortably can on your tip toes. Hold the position for a moment before returning to a flat-footed position.
Senior Home Care Services
Some seniors may live on their own, which can make it difficult to care for themselves. No one is around to help or care for them, so elderly individuals on their own may not be living as healthy of a lifestyle as they should be. This can include not doing exercises that help them maintain good health. But with a caregiver around to help, seniors can get the care and assistance they need to successfully live safely at home.
Assisting Hands Home Care provides senior home care services in Batavia, IL, and the neighboring communities to assist elderly individuals at home. A caregiver will be assigned to your elderly loved one to assist them with everyday living, including personal care. Caregivers can also make sure seniors do exercises and provide help if needed.
With in-home care services, you can feel comfortable knowing a licensed care professional is around to assist your elderly relative during this difficult time.