We have all heard it time & again that physical exercises & activity is very important for our elderlies. We have also often heard that it is important that older adults should make exercises a part of their routine.
We can’t emphasise this enough & have put together five benefits of exercises for our elderlies.
1. Decrease the risk for falls
Exercises that specifically target some of our bigger group of muscles like hip extensors & abductors, quadriceps & hamstrings have shown to improve the muscle strength & balance. This in turn reduces the risk of falls in elderly populations.
Improved muscle strength, balance & coordination also improves capacity to do day to day functional activities such as carrying a bag of groceries from the car to kitchen, pushing a trolley in the supermarket or lifting overhead.
2. Improve bone health & reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Research indicates that weight bearing exercises & using light weights to exercise muscles, improves load bearing capacity of the bones & skeletal system.
This reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
3. Improve mental health
Exercises have shown to produce hormones called Endorphins. This are our ‘feel good hormones’. These hormones help us relieve stress & make us feel happy & healthy.
Exercises & these hormones can also help in improving sleep & sleeping patterns. When you sleep well, the body gets its much-needed recovery time & helps us wake up feeling rested & well for the day ahead.
Exercises also help in improving cognitive functions & reduce risks for dementia.
A fun opportunity to socialise
Whether you join a walking group, go to a group fitness class, or visit a gardening club every once a week, an exercise routine can be made into a fun social event.
Maintaining social interactions at such events is important as it improves the feeling of connection with other people & assists in avoiding feelings such as loneliness or depression.
Finding a form of exercise that you enjoy & look forward to, is not a chore then & becomes a fun routine where you can share your thoughts, feeling & participate in a group activity.
Reduce the risk of chronic heart & other diseases
Regular exercises that are done guided & supervised by your physiotherapist & done for more than 30-40min have shown to reduce the risk of health issues that affect heart, respiratory & other systems.
These exercises are often simple & easy exercises. They can be performed with or without simple equipment such chairs, steps, light weights.
They assist in reducing the risk for health issues such as diabetes, ischemic heart diseases or chronic respiratory diseases.
Exercises tend to also build your immune system.
The physiotherapists at Wyndham Physio & Rehabilitation can help you answer any questions that you may have about exercises that may benefit you or someone you know who falls into this category of the elderly population.
Contact us on 03 9741 8268 or book online to make an appointment to see one of our physiotherapists.
Written by:
Pallavi Deshmukh
APA Titled Sports & MSK Physiotherapist, MACP