Every individual loves to lead a healthy lifestyle but many people don’t achieve a healthy life just because of their bad habits. But you need to seriously consider your health since the health is truly the wealth we have got. When it comes to older adults, health is even more important since their organs and the immune system becomes weaker than young people. But we can understand that not every senior can leave home and go to a gym and start exercising there. That is the reason why we are here with the best home exercises for seniors that would help them stay fit and healthy.

According to the fitness experts across the world, 30 minutes of daily exercise is one of the key factors for a healthy lifestyle irrespective of age. Physical activity on a regular basis keeps heart and bones strong which means you will have better flexibility and strength even at your old age! Moreover, fitness exercises can also boost your mood to keep you energetic and stress-free. For older adults who are losing muscle mass, a few exercises can improve your lost balance and mobility. Therefore, the fitness exercises mentioned in our article need to be practised by old individuals in order to keep themselves healthy.

7 Best Home Exercises for Seniors

Due to the massive coronavirus pandemic, we have been caught at home without going out. However, many older adults often stay at home without going out. For them, this article will be a great assistance since we are going to talk about only those exercises that can be practised and performed from the comfort of your home. So, if a senior is reading this guide, read carefully and practice these workouts at home. And if any younger adult is reading, you can also practice these workouts and/or you can refer these to your older family members. So, without wasting a single second, we are going to jump to the exercises. Let’s go.

Yoga

Quite obvious and hugely effective, yoga is probably the best way to stay healthy for people of any age. When it comes to seniors, there’s no better home exercise than yoga since it does not involve any strength-based activity like lifting which can cause harm or an injury. Performing a few yoga poses at home can make your body stable and healthy as well as make your mood refreshed and stress-free. However, those who have never done yoga are highly advised to do that with someone who has a little acquaintance with the yoga. That way, you can get the gentle support and balance throughout your poses which is highly required. Make sure you are not doing highly complex yoga poses which need a high level of flexibility since it can harm your muscles.

You can always consult a professional regarding the yoga poses you should try at home. When done properly on a regular basis, yoga can lift your mood along with your physical flexibility. And that makes yoga an outstanding exercise for seniors to do at home.

READ MORE: Best Yoga Workouts for Getting Toned Abs

Light Weight Training

The light weight training is one of the best home exercises for seniors as these workouts are proven to develop the bone density and muscle mass which start weakening along with growing older. With the light weight training, you can not only put on the much-required muscle mass and bone density but you’d also be able to avoid the undue stress on your muscles. Exercises like Arm Raise or Shoulder Press are great for older adults with 2 pounds of weight. Okay, we understand that not everyone has weights at home. In that scenario, you can use home-based objects like food cans or water bottles to replace the weights and get the same benefits.

If a senior needs assistance with the workouts, there are personal trainers available (also at Starmark) who are trained to assist an older person to workout effectively without any harm. In a nutshell, light weight exercises are one of the best home workouts for seniors.

Aerobics

Aerobics is another home-based exercise for seniors that would help them stay fit and healthy. You do not actually need a gym membership in order to perform aerobic exercises since you will get a lot of DVDs and online videos that would help you follow a routine in the best way possible. If you are worried about your age, let us tell you that many videos are dedicated to the seniors only; so, you don’t need to worry about the outcome of watching videos and practicing aerobics at home. However, we still would advise you to consult a fitness expert or your physician before starting the aerobics workouts at home considering your age.

There are a number of classic aerobic exercises available on the videos like knee lifts or jumping jacks (Watch Video) which will help your heart pumping and improve the cardiovascular health.

Walking

One of the simplest, commonest and more effective home exercises for seniors, walking works tremendously well to keep an older adult healthy and active. This cardiovascular exercise does not have to be done outdoors (as it normally happens); you can also walk inside the home during their time at home. Those who have large homes can always walk around the home for some time on a daily basis and those who don’t have the luxury of such large home can also walk on the passage or rooftop. Moreover, you can also get a treadmill and walk on that. But in that case, always ask someone to stay with you who knows about the treadmill and how it works (in case you don’t have any idea or anything goes wrong with the machine).

Walking indoors provides the same benefits just like walking on roads or ground. Apart from the fresh air, you would always burn calories and pumping up the heart rate. If you want a little more intensity to be added in this wonderful home workout for older adults, using the staircase is a great option.

Chair Exercises

It’s quite natural to lose mobility at an older age. But if you want to increase your mobility and prevent the falls, it’s absolutely necessary to strengthen your lower body. Chair exercises are one of the best home exercises for seniors that can help you with a strong lower body. Not only a firm and strong lower body but the chair exercises also provide more support to the seniors since they can use the chair. So, unlike many workouts, older adults can do it without any assistance. Perfect for stretching joints and tight muscles to ease the pain, the chair workouts can be performed even while watching TV! From Seated Leg Lifts to standing toe raises, the workouts are simply comforting for a person of old age. And this very aspect makes it one of the best workouts for seniors to do at home.

Squats

If we talk about lower body strength, squat would never stay back from being mentioned in any list! One of the most celebrated strength training throughout the globe, Squats can also be the best home exercise for seniors due to the fact that this workout can help them with stronger muscles throughout the lower body. In order to perform this workout, point your toes forward while standing straight. Now, you need to bend your knees to go to a near-seated position and then get up to the first position. Repeating this process completes the workout. Your physician and your physical strength would determine the number of sets and reps you should do. Squats help you with gaining muscle mass on the quads and calves.

You may face balancing issues while performing this amazing home workout. So, it is advised to take a support like a chair. You can also ask somebody to be there with you while you are performing the workout. Despite the effectiveness of Squats for the seniors’ health, it’s highly recommended to always ask your physician whether you should perform this exercise as it is a strength-based workout.

Sit-Ups

Back pain and poor balance are two of the most common sides of an older adult. Thus, sit up makes it to our list of the best home exercises for seniors for its ability to provide strong core muscles that improve balance and reduce back pain. Also, if you practice Sit-Up, it would lessen the risk of injury, which is quite common in the older people. Just like the other exercises, we would ask you the same thing: consult your doctor or physician before practicing this home workout despite its benefits.

To perform Sit Up, lie down straight on your back with your knees bend at an angle. Now, place both of your hands behind your head and pull your head up gently without moving your buttocks. And then get back to the same position. Repeating this process will work on strengthening the stomach muscles which is a great boon for the health of the seniors.

Caution for Performing These Home Exercises for Seniors

These exercises are really effective without any doubt. But as we have mentioned in every single exercise, always consult a doctor or physician before starting these workouts. These home workouts are great for older adults but these are also capable of causing an injury. So, consulting an expert before and during the exercises is the best way to reap the benefits of these exercises without getting injured in the process.

Concluding

Home exercises for seniors are the best way to keep older adults fit and healthy during their time at home. With these home-based workouts, you can not only stay fit physically but your mental health will be boosted. You will feel energetic and there will be less chance of being sick. So, follow these exercises to become healthier than ever in your old age.