How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Workout Easier

Elderly adults can and should exercise regularly if they are able to. There are many benefits of exercising for elderly adults. It can improve longevity, reduce the risk of health conditions, boost energy, improve mood, reduce pain, and much more. However, for some elderly adults, they find it difficult to find the motivation to workout or to continue working out.

Here are some tips that can help you to make working out easier for your elderly loved one.

Home Care Rochester NY - How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Workout Easier

Home Care Rochester NY – How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Workout Easier

Taking Baby Steps

One of the first tips for helping to make working out easier for your elderly loved one is to have them take baby steps. Research shows that elderly adults should get between 2 to 2 ½ hours of exercise every week. Elderly adults who have been inactive should not just jump into this all at once. You and their home care providers can encourage them to start with just 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise a week for the first couple of weeks. In addition, they should only start by doing 5 to 10 minutes of exercise at a time. Over time, they can slowly increase their strength and stability, so they can do more at once.

Talk About the Benefits

If your elderly loved one is having a tough time getting motivated to work out, they may need some encouragement. One of the ways that you can encourage your elderly loved one to exercise regularly is by talking to them about the benefits of doing so. You should let your elderly loved one know that regular exercise can help reduce the risk of health conditions, reduce symptoms of conditions they may already have, improve balance and flexibility, manage emotions, give them something to do, and much more. You should also let your elderly loved one know that not working out enough can lead to health concerns, low energy, and cause other problems in their life.

Getting Them a Workout Partner

If your elderly loved one needs more motivation to workout, you may want to consider getting them a workout partner. You can do live video chats and workout with them that way. You could also see if their home care provider would be willing to do some workout with them.

If you want to help your elderly loved one workout easier, try out the tips above. Hopefully, with time, your elderly loved one can begin working out more regularly. This will benefit both their physical, emotional, and mental health.

Sources:  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-its-important
https://medlineplus.gov/exerciseforolderadults.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Rochester NY, contact the caring staff at Caring Hearts of Rochester today! Serving Rochester, Pittsford, Greece, Webster, Canandaigua, Fairport, Perinton, Penfield, Brighton, Henrietta and surrounding communities. Call 585-245-0134.

John Hunt