Elder Care: For seniors in cold climates, the winter can make it difficult to stay motivated to be active.
Cold weather, ice, and snow can make it tough for seniors who usually walk or do outdoor activities to find ways that they can be active that are fun. Seniors also may become lonely when they can’t walk or exercise with the friends that they rely on throughout the rest of the year. An elder care provider can help keep them active.
But the winter months are the perfect time for seniors to try some new activities and see if they can find other ways to get exercise. Consider getting your senior loved one a pass or membership to a fitness facility, senior center, or gym that has activities designed for seniors. If your senior loved one doesn’t drive any longer an elder care provider can help your senior loved one get to the facility.
There are lots of indoor exercise options for seniors like:
Yoga
If your senior loved one has always talked about taking a yoga class but they never have there’s no better time for them to try yoga. Most senior centers and gyms have yoga classes that are designed specifically for seniors. Yoga can help seniors improve their flexibility and maintain their muscle strength without any negative impacts on their joints.
Dancing
Dancing is a wonderful activity for seniors. Alone or with a partner dancing helps seniors keep their cognitive skills strong and their muscles strong. Plus it’s just fun! There are senior dance classes that are designed for single people and dance classes for couples so if your senior parents want to get out a rut and try something new they can try a couples dance class to get exercise and have fun together. Single seniors will also enjoy the social interaction they get from dancing.
Aerial Routines
Aerial workouts are a newer type of workout but the classes designed for seniors can be very beneficial for seniors. Aerialists usually perform in circus-style shows where they perform ballet-like movements high in the air using special strings of fabric to support their body weight. But your senior loved one doesn’t have to get far off the ground to get to the benefits of an aerial workout. The special ropes of fabric hold and cradle seniors so they can perform yoga and dance movements with no impact. That helps their flexibility and muscle strength.
Swimming
Swimming is another low-impact activity for seniors that has big health benefits. And most gyms and other facilities have indoor pools where seniors can swim all year long safely. Swimming laps or taking water aerobics can burn a lot of calories while also helping seniors build up their muscle strength. Local facilities with pools may not even require you to purchase a membership to the entire facility. They may have open hours for lap swimming that can be accessed just by getting a pool pass for a low fee.