Importance of Keeping Active for Seniors

A lot of seniors lose their mobility as they age, which is why it is necessary to encourage them to keep exercising.

More than 50% of senior citizens spend at least 8.5 hours a day sedentary. Many senior citizens lose their mobility as they age, so exercise for seniors is essential to keep them healthy for as long as possible.

Here are a few benefits exercising can give seniors:

1. It helps with arthritis. Regular exercise lubricates your joints, which can help reduce any stiffness and pain that people with arthritis experience. On top of that, regular exercise can reduce your chances of becoming obese, which is a risk factor for arthritis.
2. It can help with heart disease. By continuing to exercise later in life, you can reduce the risk of heart disease or better manage any existing heart issues.
3. It boosts your mood. Depression is an issue that plagues many people, but it can be prevalent in adults, especially for senior citizens who may live alone or have lost loved ones. Fortunately, exercise can have a great effect on personal mood, and help address mental health issues like depression.
4. It can slow down the effects of dementia. Exercise can greatly slow down the mental decline that comes with dementia. Moderate to intense exercise can help lower the risk of mental health decline and even prevent future cognitive health issues.
5. It can help improve bone health. Weight training and muscle-strengthening exercises can do wonders for bone health. In fact, they can reduce the risk of health problems like osteoporosis and osteopenia. This makes exercise great for anyone who wants to keep their bones healthy.