Keeping Fit at Your Local Active Adult Retirement Communities

We often hear experts talk about the importance of daily exercise for everyone from young children to adults. As we get older, it becomes even more important for our bodies to stay active. When you take the time to fit in some physical activity, it can make a world of difference if you want to stay both happy and healthy.

Exercise is Social

Exercise can do wonders for your social life! Sign up for a group class and you’ll find that it is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. And, when you know you have your friends to see, it can motivate you to stick to an exercise schedule. It’s up to you to turn your daily exercise regime into something fun that you’ll look forward to.

Exercise Keeps your Mind Sharp

As we age, it’s important to keep the mind in great shape, and exercise is a great way to do it! An exercise class is a fantastic way to get your brain and body to work together. Your brain gets a workout when it works to keep your body in motion and learn new steps or moves. Learning new skills helps to keep both the mind and body happy, so don’t be afraid to try something a little different.

Exercise Keeps Us Healthy

It’s obvious, of course. People who exercise more tend to be healthier. That’s because our bodies are meant to move! It’s important to make the time for some daily physical activity. Simply put, the more you move, the better you’ll feel.

For seniors, regular movement can improve coordination, make you stronger, and reduce the chance of injury. As you begin to feel stronger, you’ll feel more confident and can try new things with confidence.

There are a host of other health conditions that can be improved or prevented by regular exercise. When you get your heart rate up regularly, you’ll improve your cardiovascular and respiratory function, and also build up your immune system, which improves recovery time after illness. Regular strength training also helps to protect against loss of bone mass (osteoporosis), and lowers the risk of broken bones from a fall.

Exercise can also lower the risk of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, certain cancers, arthritis, and more.

What Kinds of Exercise are Safe for Seniors?

Cardio

Cardio routines consist of exercises designed to get your heart rate up. It’s a good idea to stick to lower impact forms of exercise with little to no jumping or fast movements. Walking is one of the best ways to get in some cardio activity every day. Swimming is also a great source of cardio, since it’s easy on the joints. Aim for at least 30 minutes of movement each day for best results.

Strength and Resistance Training

The focus of this type of exercise is to build muscle strength. You’ll probably want to work with light weights, or simply use your own body weight. No special equipment is needed: just a little creativity. Wall push ups, sit ups, and calf raises are all great ways to use body weight for resistance, and you can lift items such as water bottles or soup cans if you don’t have weights. For this type of exercise, it’s best to aim for 1 to 2 times per week.

Stretching and Flexibility

To keep your bones and muscles happy, you need to make sure you stretch. A good stretch session helps to warm up and cool down your muscles before and after a workout, and also helps to prevent injury and muscle soreness after exercise.

Yoga is a great way to stretch your muscles and fit in some gentle movement at the same time, which is ideal for seniors. Some forms of yoga (including pilates) help to strengthen the core muscles, which greatly improve your balance and stability. Tai chi is also great if you want to improve or maintain your balance and coordination skills.

These types of gentle exercises can also have emotional and mental benefits as well. Part of the practice includes a focus on deep breathing, which will leave you feeling calm and relaxed at the end of a session.

How Bria Communities Keeps Seniors Active

At Bria Communities, we understand how important it is to encourage residents to stay active. Our professionally-trained, certified recreation staff offer many activity groups, from specialized fitness classes to walking and gardening clubs, all designed to make exercise fun and exciting for seniors. There really is something at Bria to suit everyone!