For Eldercare, Yes, They Need Exercise!

“If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!” How many times did you hear that about different skills and abilities? I hate to tell you…but it actually is kinda true. I type well over 100 words per hour…because I’m always typing. If I stopped for a while—I type less in summer, for example—my overall speed slows down. I can still type well, just not at my peak. 

That old statement is particularly true of your physical abilities as we age, and it is so obvious in Mom as she continues in her 93rd year. Just over the past few months, Mom has been getting less and less physical exercise, and it is getting progressively harder to get her moving when we visit. And it shows. She is having random aches and pains, takes longer getting out of bed or from a chair, and is much quicker to refuse walks of any length.

This week, a wheelchair has appeared in her room, as she refuses to walk to the dining room so the nurses are wheeling her around. I don’t blame the nurses at all, but this is an unfortunate and disturbing trend.

Don’t let this happen to your loved one prematurely.

Let’s talk prevention…

Benefits Of Eldercare Exercise

At the end of this blog you will find some resources that will give you suggestions for activities for your elderly loved one. They will tell you all about different exercises that might be enjoyable and doable for your person, and I encourage you to click on those links at your leisure. We all know there are tremendous benefits to exercising at every age. Let’s look at some specific reasons we should encourage ourselves and our loved ones to exercise.

Keep Agile

Pop had a lot of physical therapy following different surgeries, and I found it very interesting. After the kidney, the focus of his physical therapy was to get in and out of bed without disturbing his wound site. It never occurred to me—as a relatively young and healthy person—that transitioning from bed to chair and using the toilet could become a terrible barrier as we age or recover. The idea of keeping as much physical agility as possible is now in the forefront of my mind, and I work with Mom every day to make sure she can continue to attend to her own personal needs.

Keep Balance

We’ve talked extensively about the horrible statistics about falls in the elderly, and especially how many people repeat falls once they start to happen. The changes in the inner ear are just one of the reasons that balance becomes such an issue as we continue to age. By exercising, and working towards keeping the muscles as strong and useful for as long as possible, we can help our loved one stay steady on their feet, meaning less falls. 

Social Aspects

One morning, I stopped by the mall before they opened, as I needed something quickly before work. The mall was packed with walkers! Not only did I observe a number of older people walking, but they were all stopping to chat with each other, enjoying a coffee in the food court, or making plans to shop once the stores opened. We can never minimize the importance of maintaining a social life for our loved ones. Exercising together is a great way for our loved ones to maintain a social relationship while getting much needed exercise. It will also make them much more likely to continue exercising, if they feel accountable to someone else. 

For Eldercare, You Don’t Need Much Exercise—Just Get Started

It isn’t really difficult to build a new pattern or habit with an elderly person. They tend to be organized with their time, and will appreciate something that can be scheduled efficiently. My parents, for example, walked every morning before breakfast in Florida. This was solidly scheduled into their day, and kept them active. 

So, to get them started, you need to give them a good idea. Let’s go over a few ideas that might help you get your loved one off the couch, and on the road to a healthier life!

Good Old Fashioned Videos

Who remembers “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”? ME! That’s who! Before videos were popular, there were exercise shows on PBS for decades, and these shows were consistent and completely free! Once people got VCRs, the advent of exercise videos ran rampant, and these videos are still in existence today through streaming services. This is a great “entry exercise” for people, because they can do it in the privacy of their own home. 

Start on your local PBS, and see what you can find that might be interesting to your person!

Walking

Absolutely nothing is easier than taking a walk! Not only is it free and the paths are open 24/7, but it is fantastic exercise at every age! The beauty of a walk is that it can be as long or as short as you want—or your person can handle. What starts as just an around the block walk can grow into several miles very quickly.

The caveat here is definitely foot-related: Get them some good shoes! Pop had his good “diabetic sneakers” as he called them, so I knew he had good walking shoes, but it was hard to find good shoes for Mom. The last thing you want is some ache or pain that could have been avoided. 

Considering my ongoing fear of falls, I recommend you check their path for falling hazards, and keep them on the path in the park—going off the beaten path could spell big trouble for your loved one!

Lastly, I recommend they do NOT walk alone for health and safety reasons. Not only will finding a “walking buddy” give them some socialization, but it will be a Godsend if something does happen while they are out. 

Eldercare Chair Exercise

If you are unfamiliar with chair exercises, I strongly suggest you Google it, because it’s fantastic for the elderly! Especially helpful in the beginning, your person can do some light exercises while seated in a regular kitchen chair. Not only is it minimally stressful on their joints, but it takes the entire balance and falling element right off the table, so they can get some exercise without worrying about that. Since it is indoors, there is no worry about weather, too!

The Pool!

The best part of doing anything in the pool exercise is that it is very low-impact stress on their joints for eldercare (or anyone, really). The toughest part of pool workouts is, literally, getting into the pool! So, I am not suggesting your backyard pool, exactly. What I’m suggesting you do is contact your local senior citizen center or YMCA, and see if they have some water exercise classes—hopefully for free—that your loved one can get involved with. Pop loved doing exercises in the pool, but it wasn’t something Mom enjoyed, so your mileage might vary widely.

Avoid These!

I doubt you really need this list, but I thought I’d better use this opportunity to remind you of a few things…

• Anything full contact – Under no circumstances should they be doing anything that involves another person in their personal space. They are having enough trouble with their balance—don’t do anything that might make it worse.
• Anything that could cause falls – Several years ago, we taught Mom how to do WiiFit bowling, and she LOVED it! She and Pop had been good bowlers who were in leagues for years in early retirement. This way, she wasn’t holding a heavy ball or balancing down an alley. Now, though, we would never let her try WiiFit, because of the balancing factor, so this has become something she can do only front a seated position. My point is that not all “low impact” exercise is necessarily safe for your person—be sure it will work.
• Anything with extra weights – You know now to add weights, but I caution you that many other things—think resistance bands—could become problematic as they age. One time, the resistance band slipped out of one of Pop’s hands, and he ended up hurting his shoulder as it bounced back. Be careful, even with things that the physical therapist or doctor recommends!

Mom’s Secret Eldercare Exercise!

I can spin many, many things into light exercise for Mom. Anything thatgets her mind and body engaged in an activity is fair game, in my definition. There is something that I can always—ALWAYS—get her to say yes to, that provides great exercise:

Throwing a ball to Luna. She will never say no to her sweet dog, so it is always a win to get her out in the backyard and throwing the ball over and over again while Luna runs around. They are great together, and this is the best “therapy” for both of them.

What are your “secret exercises” that help your loved one stay active? Let me know in the comments.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Wow! You made it! Thank you for reading about eldercare exercise!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out therapeutic lying, here, or if you’ve read that, check out more dementia problems, here! Or maybe you want to hear more about Pop, here. Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment with YOUR story! Any dementia stories? Let me know!

Please, feel free to contact me or leave a COMMENT with anything you would like to hear more about! Or reach out with any unrelated questions, comments, concerns, or random outbursts of excitement by clicking here.

Oh! And don’t forget to check out my video series by CLICKING HERE!!!

Resources

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/20-chair-exercises-for-seniors

https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/tip-sheet-walking-older-adults