When Is The Best Time To Start A Fitness Routine?
Now! You are never too old to become physically active. When you start, no matter what type of routine you enjoy, you’ll reap a plethora of health benefits.
Expand Your View of Exercise
Does the thought of exercise make you feel like you have to plod along a treadmill, lift weights at the gym or find a fitness track to walk in circles? Sure, you can do those things if they appeal to you, but exercise is any activity that gets you up and moving. Walking is a low-impact activity, and you can combine it with bird watching or even Pokémon Go to make it more fun. Muscle tone can be improved with resistance bands and cardio can be impact-free with aqua-aerobics.
A great way to get in exercise plus time in the great outdoors is to garden. Not only can you burn around 200 calories an hour by pulling weeds and planting seeds, you can do so in a social setting by joining a community garden. The best part? Beautiful blooms, delicious strawberries, succulent peas – you get to enjoy the literal fruits of your labour!
So Many Health Benefits
It’s easy to understand the physical health benefits of exercise: improved heart health, better balance, reduced osteoporosis risk, retention of muscle mass. However, the benefits don’t stop there. When you exercise in social setting like a walking club or aqua fitness, you join a community. This helps ease isolation, which is a huge risk for many seniors.
Isolation is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, depression and cognitive decline. Being around others is good for your health, so why not combine exercise with a social activity? Doesn’t a dance class, or a cycling tour sound like fun?
Speaking of mental health and cognitive decline, both are improved with exercise whether it is solo or social. Moving your body helps keep your brain active and your blood flowing. A stagnant body can lead to a stagnant mind.
Long-term Care Communities and Physical Fitness
When choosing a long-term care community, looks for ones where physical fitness is a priority. This goes beyond having a gym on site – look for communities that hold dances, are located on green spaces with trails for walking and cycling, that transport guests to the pool, that have walking clubs and community gardens, etc.
Quality of life is vastly improved when fitness is part of one’s daily routine. A long-term care community that emphasizes the importance of this is a key factor in choosing the best care for yourself or someone you love.
