Resistance training involves your senior’s muscles working against some type of resistance. This could be some type of weight or weight machine, or it can be a simple as using her own body weight.
Resistance Training Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
When you first think about resistance training, you might imagine enormous weights and complicated weight training routines. But resistance training for an older adult doesn’t have to get that complicated. Using even lightweight resistance bands can be quite enough to help your elderly family member to maintain the muscle she has and build on her activity levels.
Exercise Builds Muscle
Exercise helps to build up muscle mass, which is important for your aging adult. Many older adults find that they start to lose muscles they once had and this is for a variety of reasons. First, your elderly family member may not be eating the way that she used to and this can affect her muscles. Second, that old saying about “using it or losing it” applies. As your elderly family member becomes less active, those muscles tend to slip away.
Resistance Training Helps Bone Mass
In addition to helping your elderly family member keep her muscles, resistance training can help her to maintain her bone mass. Weight-bearing exercises are often recommended for people with diminishing bone mass or osteoporosis. The exercise doesn’t need to be intense, either. Light weight training or even walking can help. Senior centers and gyms sometimes have classes that cater to elderly exercisers. Working with a physical therapist or a personal trainer can also be a helpful way to get your elderly family member the right combination of exercises.
Exercise in General Helps Beat Depression
Exercise releases endorphins that can help your elderly family member to battle depression, too. In addition to the neurochemical benefits, simply being stronger and feeling a little more fit can help your loved one to feel as if she’s more in control of her life. Fear of losing her mobility can contribute to depression, but exercise can give her a practical tool that slows that process.
Keep in mind that you should talk with your senior’s doctor about any exercise program before starting one with her. It’s also a good idea to ensure that she doesn’t exercise alone. If you can’t be there with her, senior care providers can be excellent companions and make sure your aging family member is safe while she exercises.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.