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We all know that exercise at any age hosts a number of benefits that have us all scrambling to live a more active lifestyle, and it comes as no surprise that keeping seniors active is particularly important. Active seniors benefit from mood improvements, increased strength and mobility, and countless other advantages that make living at home more manageable.

Keep reading for a quick guide on some basic things you can do keep seniors active.

1. Stay Motivated

Regardless of whether you’re an occupational therapist or a family member, when you’re encouraging a senior to stay active, you’ll need to keep them motivated. It goes without saying that when we’re lacking motivation, it can be hard to get off your backside and get moving.

Here are some simple ways to boost motivation when you’re trying to keep your senior active:

· Encourage Goals

Goals instill a sense of pride and a target for active seniors to work towards. These goals may be as simple as walking a certain amount per day or completing an exercise routine.

· Around the House

Keeping motivational material around the house can provide a subtle inspiration for seniors and help them to stay active. This, for example, could include health magazines or uplifting music.

· Education is Key

As we’ve already mentioned, keeping seniors active harvests tremendous benefits. Make sure that the patient is educated in these benefits and how exercise can positively affect their life. Proven benefits of keeping seniors active include but are not limited to:

• decreased stress levels
• improved sleep patterns
• reduced feelings of sadness and depression
• weight management
• reduced impact of illness
• improved mobility, flexibility, and balance

 

2. Be Involved

By setting an example and being involved, staying active becomes teamwork rather than a lonely chore. Here are some simple ways to get involved in a seniors plan to stay active:

· Organize Outings

When the focus is more on having fun than it is on exercise, the job of staying active becomes much less like a chore. Plan some fun activities with your senior such as lunch dates, museum trips, or simple walks to the park, to encourage staying active while enjoying the company of someone else.

· Arrange Activities Together

At any age, daily routines can be more fun with a partner. When visiting, make an effort to join in or start an activity such as walking to the grocery store rather than driving, or getting out and doing the gardening.

 

3. Create a Routine

Just like brushing teeth or doing the dishes after a meal, keeping seniors active should be a daily routine. Setting aside a block of time at the same hour every day can help encourage a healthier overall lifestyle. As every senior is not the same, it is important to know what time of day is best for their particular rhythm.

When you’re trying to create a routine with your senior, it’s a great idea to keep a log of all the exercises they complete every day, or the amount of time they exercised for. For many people, seeing these results written down can also help boost their motivation.

 

4. Local Events and Classes

Enrolling in local events or classes helps break up the monotony of the day, and makes staying active less tedious for active seniors aging in place. Most cities offer several exercise classes for seniors, such as yoga, pilates, or simple group walks.

Use the internet, the newspaper, or visit your local community centre for more information on exercise classes for seniors in your area.

For more tips on how to keeping seniors active, contact Evan. He’ll be happy to assist you with all your questions.

 

5. Volunteering

There are many opportunities for seniors to volunteer and become more involved in their local communities. Researchers at Berkeley found that volunteering can help seniors feel more productive, increase their social activity, and gives them a general sense that their life has improved.

Moreover, volunteering is also a great way of staying active because it instills a senior with some responsibility. For those seniors that are restricted to the house, there are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer from home.

Organizations like Help from Home offer numerous opportunities for seniors aging in place to become more involved with their local community from the comfort of their own home. Common forms of volunteering include:

• hospital work
• religious work
• volunteering at social service organizations

Volunteering opportunities for active seniors can be found via the internet, the local paper, or through your local community center. Here are some useful resources to get you started:

Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits

Canadian Association for Retired People

Volunteer Canada

Get Volunteering

 

6. Stay Mentally Active

A major key to keeping seniors active physically is ensuring that they are working on staying mentally fit as well. Ensuring that seniors aging in place stay mentally active not only improves their memory, but also increases their ability to focus and multitask.

Here are some basic ways you can help keep your senior mentally active:

· Games

Keep word games such as crossword puzzles around the house to encourage brain stimulation. Online games are also a good option as the variety is extensive and the navigation of technology can also help boost brain function in seniors.

· Read

Reading, rather than watching TV, does wonders to improve cognitive ability in seniors. For those lacking motivation, joining or starting a book club may be a great option for seniors aging in place.

· Cultivate a New Hobby

Forcing the brain to take part in new activities is an excellent way to stay mentally active. Many hobbies such as model-making, flower-arranging, and knitting not only improve cognitive stimulation, but encourage physical activity as well.

For more information, check out our article on brain stimulation for seniors.

 

7. Change it Up

While walking and exercise routines for active seniors, there are additional lifestyle changes that can help increase physical activity. Here are just a few examples of changes that can improve quality of life by helping to keep seniors active.

· Gardening

Rather than paying to have yard work done, encourage simple gardening tasks such as raking or pulling weeds.

· Take the Stairs

This may be the most commonly stated exercise tip, but it is important nonetheless. Choosing the stairs over the elevator is a simple way to boost physical activity. Also, try parking at the far end of the parking lot when going to the grocery store or appointments.

· Start Good Habits

Simple habits like performing toe-raises or wall-pushups during everyday tasks like phone calls or TV time are excellent ways to keep seniors active throughout the day.

 

8. Get a Pet

While caring for a pet may not be for everyone, it can be great solution for active seniors. Small dogs such as Jack Russell terriers can be relatively easy to care for when compared to bigger breeds, and also encourage a senior to stay active by taking them for a walk.

Remember, it is always important to consider a person’s needs or wants before making the decision to get a pet.

 

9. Remove Doubts

For seniors aging in place, there is a major concern when it comes to being physically active. They may be worried about getting injured while exercising alone, or simply might not find it a good idea to put their body under strain as they get older.

It is really important you work closely with your senior to remove these doubts, and re-assure them of the benefits of regular exercise. Work with them to understand their physical condition, and also make sure that they understand their limits.

Finally, also consider investing in an emergency alarm system such as the Premium Guardian that notifies the necessary people in an emergency, and ensures your senior that you’re always only a call away.

For more tips on how to keeping seniors active, contact Evan. He’ll be happy to assist you with all your questions.

Tags: active lifestyle active seniors aging at home aging in place exercise keeping seniors active