Yes, You Can Get Fit at Any Age!

In our last blog post we talked about malnutrition and the dangers of excessive weight loss for our senior loved ones. Here's an eye-opening statistic related to that loss: 

Starting around age 50, we lose muscle mass at an annual rate of 1-2%. After age 60, that rate doubles to 3% per year — a rate that adds up alarmingly when you multiply it by decades. When an older person loses weight, they’re not just losing fat, they’re losing essential muscle.

So what’s the best way to slow that muscle loss, or even turn it around? EXERCISE, of course.

Exercise is a wonderful thing. It can truly be the fountain of youth. Along with rejuvenating your muscles, regular exercise can help lower blood pressure, improve balance to prevent falls, and help fight bone density loss, another issue for seniors. Everybody should start exercising right away. And here’s the thing: everybody can, regardless of age or fitness level.

You don’t have to be gym-ready to start moving your muscles around. Weights and machines and treadmills are great for some people, but others do well with gentle, guided at-home movement sequences. For beginners, there are even exercise programs that can be performed while safely seated — and many of those programs are available for free on YouTube. For example, the Yes2next video channel promises “fitness and joy at any age” and features a charmingly low-key mother and daughter exercise team. Your loved one can get started with their Beginner Get Moving Chair Workout, go for a gentle stretch with their 15 Minute Chair Yoga Workout or go for a slightly more challenging routine with the 10 Minute Indoor Walking Workout for Seniors.

The HASfit channel on YouTube features more traditional weight and calisthenic workouts, but also has a roster of gentle and safe workouts for seniors, including a sequence of 10 Minute, 20 Minute and 30 Minute chair workouts. For more active seniors, there is a 15 Minute Low Impact Standing Workout for Seniors that includes modified versions of squats and push-ups and would certainly provide an excellent full-body workout.

If your senior loved one has specific medical or health requirements and you’d like a more structured program with in-person guidance during the workouts, please give Overture Home Care a call at (817) 887-9401 to find out how our compassionate caregivers can help. We always discuss exercise with new clients and make sure that the caregivers assigned to particular clients can assist with specific exercise needs. Our caregivers can be trained to follow recommended exercises from our partners in home health, or discharge instructions from acute or rehab hospital therapy teams, including physical and occupational therapists. Our caregivers can also guide your senior loved one through disease-specific exercise routines, such as those for Parkinson’s Disease.

Are you ready to get your senior loved one started on an exercise program — but with guidance tailored to their particular needs? Give Overture Home Care a call at (817) 887-9401 to find out how we can provide the personal support your loved one needs as they start back on the road to health in 2023!