Exercise is important throughout our lives, but especially vital as we get older. Unfortunately, the effects of aging can make exercise more difficult. Your Philadelphia home health care experts at Angels on Call offer insights into how you can meet your exercise needs as you age, and how our Angels can help you.
The Benefits of Exercise
Exercise provides numerous benefits to our physical health. These benefits increase as we get older, even when the amount we can exercise decreases. Some of the ways exercise helps you stay healthy as you age includes,
- Weight management
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses
- Maintaining bone and muscle strength
- Improved ability to do daily activities
- Lower risk of falls and fall injuries
- Better management of chronic illnesses
Seniors’ Exercise Needs
As we age, it’s normal to see our ability to exercise reduce. However, we still need some physical activity. For adults 65 and over, you should get,
- At least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes a week of intense activity
- At least 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activities
- At least 3 days a week of balance-improving activities
Options to help you meet your activity goals include,
- Moderate activities
- Walking or hiking
- Some forms of yoga
- Yard work, such as raking and pushing a lawn mower
- Bicycle riding (stationary or outdoors)
- Water aerobics
- Intensive activities
- Jogging
- Hiking
- Running
- Bicycle riding (stationary or outdoors)
- Swimming
You might notice that some of these activities overlap between moderate and intensive. For some activities, such as bike riding, intensity depends on how fast you ride or your bike’s tension. What counts as moderate or intensive can also vary depending on your overall health. How do you know if an activity is moderate or intensive for you? Moderate activity will increase your heart rate and breathing, but you will still be able to talk normally. Vigorous activity will leave you with a higher heart rate and breathing harder and you won’t be able to say more than a few words without catching your breath.
- Muscle-building activities
- Lifting weights
- Working with resistance bands
- Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (push-ups, sit-ups)
- Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
- Some forms of yoga
- Balance activities
- Walking backward
- Balancing on one leg
- Walking backward
- Using a wobble board
An Angel at Your Side
Do you struggle with daily activities due to limited mobility, chronic health conditions, or other concerns from aging? Your exercise is still important. One of our Angels can help you by offering you companionship, an exercise partner, and safety assistance for muscle and balance exercises. An in-home companion can help ensure that you get the exercise you need within your physical limits so that you stay healthy and happy.
Are You Looking for Home Care in Philadelphia, PA?
Does your loved one need home care in Philadelphia? We offer a wide range of services to help all seniors and those with special needs live their best lives. Contact us to set up an appointment and we will match you with one of our Angels or help you choose your Angel as part of the PAS program.
