Elderly health is something many people ignore, but it should be focussed. When we age, we see and experience many changes in our bodies. To adapt to those changes, elderly health routine is needed.
This elderly health and care doesn’t only include workout, but also all the other details and things that can keep people healthy with age.
We will understand why this is important, and we will learn some moves and ways that can keep seniors fit and active. I will include things that are easy to follow, and you can add them easily to your routine.
Who am I? Well that’s not important. If you are someone 65+ consider me your son or grandson, or just consider me your friend.
Table of Contents
Why do we need to know about elderly health
As mentioned above, to adapt to bodily changes we need to know new and different sets of rules. These rules are different for different ages, and we need to follow them accordingly.
With elderly health, people will also learn how to manage issues like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, memory loss, insomina and other diseases that are common with age.
With workout and proper routine, seniors can improve their stamina, flexibility, bone health, immunity, etc.
Laughter is the best medicine
You might have heard that laughter is the best medicine. But, have you ever tested it? Well 10–15 mins of laughter can help you burn 40 calories easily. It increases immunity, increases blood flow to the heart, that helps in managing the blood pressure. It also decreases stiffness around blood vessels, that improves heart conditioning. It also helps in improving mental health.
So, you can see laughter could be a great workout, and you don’t need to put any extra efforts for this. You might have seen laughter clubs in the park at morning, consider joining them. They could be a great stress buster.
Or maybe find humor around you. There are tons of ways, you need to accept and be open to them.
Exercises for elderly
When we specifically talk about exercises, then we don’t necessarily need to do anything high intensity. Some light movements and chair exercises can give great benefits.
There are moves that are comfortable for elderly, or people with back issues. These moves are safe and tested according to elderly.
Start easy with the workout
First, if you are comfortable with walks, then you can also consider including that in your routine. A walk for 10–15 mins is more than enough. It need not to be anything fast, a slow and steady walk on ground or nearby park will do just fine.
You can even do a march at your home by standing on one place or even while sitting.
Then there are some other moves, that I personally suggest. I see my grandmother doing it and I feel people can do them comfortably at their home.
Something as easy as clapping can be a great exercise as well. It improves blood circulation and elevates mood.
We generally clap when are happy or celebrating. Well here, let’s celebrate our good health. How about we aim for 100 claps?
Arm rotation and circles
For this, you can either stand or sit comfortably, open your arms wide and rotate them clockwise and anti-clockwise. You can also lift your hands alternatively up and down.
These moves will increase flexibility and mobility in the arms. Please refer to the pics above
Leg movements
Just like arms, you can do the same with legs. Like a pendulum, you can move your legs forward and backward. You can also do it while sitting or having a support of something (while standing).
While sitting, you can try toe raises. For this simple move, you need to lift your toes. You can even do ankle rotation, for these you need to rotate your ankles in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. Be gentle and don’t rush.
Shoulder rotation
Another great exercise for shoulder and arms. This can also be done while sitting. You need to touch your shoulders with your fingers and rotate your arms.
Remember to rotate very patiently.
Neck rotation
Just like legs and arms, we will also rotate neck. This movement supports spine, neck, even provide relaxation to that beautiful brain of yours.
You can do it while sitting or standing. First we will look left-right. Make sure your upper body doesn’t move while doing it. Then we will look up and down, again no upper body movements. Lastly we will gently rotate the neck in the circles.
Those who have issue of migraine or vertigo, please avoid it.
Badhakonasana
I am sure, you are aware of some yoga Asana that are equally helpful and effective. I’ll include some which are comfortable and easy to do.
For this Asana you need to sit comfortably with leg folded.Bring both the soles of your feet together and hold them with hands. Now gently, while keeping the spine straight start flapping both the legs like wings of a butterfly.
Let’s aim 20 secs of this. You need to be very calm with it and make sure your breathing is in control.
Pranayama
It is a type of breathing exercise and has several benefits like it decreases stress, improves sleep quality, reduces blood pressure, improves lungs functioning, aids digestive health, improves mental health and more.
For this, you need to sit in open air. Pranayama should be done on an empty stomach, so morning time would be great.
I am sharing a video for those who are new to this and want to learn it properly. This can be done while sitting on the floor, on a chair or even on a bed.
Brain health of elderly
Generally, elderly take a lot of unwanted stress and even many times their brain health starts deteriorating with time. For that we need to keep our brain active. Elderly can have issues like dementia, mental imbalance or worse. Trust me, dementia is not a part of age process. Not all have memory loss. In fact a brain can be kept in a good condition with some basic exercise.
These brain exercises will be fun. These may look funny to some,but the benefits are amazing. When it comes to brain health, a simple puzzle solving, reading a book, staying updated with technology, continuing your hobby can do wonders.
Plus, there are some foods that are great for brain health. You can learn all that through this blog.
Diet for elderly
I am sure this will offend many, but trust me I am not discriminating anyone for anything. As you may know that every one should take different diet according to their age. For example, you cannot expect to feed a full burger to a toddler, similarly diet for elderly should be made with some care and extra love.
A good diet not only prevent from electrolyte imbalance but also keeps the body nourished.
FGW
Elderly’s food should not contain too many spices or salt. It should not be too sweet. Avoid full fat milk, processed food as they are hard to digest and can cause elevated blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
Focus more on nutrient rich foods like fruits, legumes, vegetables, low fat milk, dry/dried fruits, beans, millets, etc. These foods pack all the essential minerals, protein and vitamins.
A message for youngsters
This is a message for youngsters before I end this blog. Make sure you spend sufficient time with senior citizens. Listen to their stories and learn from their experiences. Fulfill their needs and make sure you encourage them for a regular health check-ups.
In the end
Elderly health is important, and today we have learned an easy approach that can be followed for elderly care.
Mainly, people need emotional support, love and care during their senior years. Just like a baby needs patience and attention, seniors also needs patience and attention. With this post I have highlighted a few things that will help everyone to achieve better elderly health.
FAQs
How much water elderly needs to drink in a day?
Elderly people should aim for 1.7 liters of water or fluid in 24 hours.
How much sleep elderly needs to have?
Experts recommends that adults above age 65, should have at least 7–9 hours of sleep daily. Failing to which it could cause weight gain, hypertension, heart diseases, stroke and depression.
Why elderly needs to workout?
Workout for elderly protects them for several ailments like hypertension, weight gain, diabetes. It improves posture, stability, flexibility, immunity and bone strength. Every person should workout for at least 30 mins a day.
Hey, until next time Keep shining!!!
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