Senior to Senior: Seniors and Exercising

You weren’t exercising before the pandemic so why should you start now? By now, most seniors are aware, and not particularly happy about, learning that they are classified as “vulnerable” when it comes to contracting covid 19. Vulnerable is a scary word. Exercise is more important than ever, because it helps older adults maintain a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system is necessary for fighting off disease. Keeping healthy is a full-time job. Taking care of your health by exercising is your full-time job. Think flexibility, balance, and muscle strength in addition to that immune system thing. Your bones, tendons and ligaments will thank you. During the pandemic, many people have been getting less physical activity than they were before, which means that it is more important than ever for older adults to find accessible ways to remain physically active. Researchers tell us that exercise is also a good way to deal with stress, even though it isn’t as obvious as the physical benefits. Osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis pain are terms that are easier to understand than stress and depression. The pandemic isn’t over yet; even with your vaccine on board, you may not feel comfortable resuming social activities. You want to know who else in on board and you want more information. Why not make the best of the present situation and get your old body ready, willing, and able to hit the streets running, well walking at a respectable rate? You don’t have to have lofty goals like running a marathon or losing a ton of weight, but you need to get enough exercise to maintain good health and mobility. Seriously, seniors have enough issues without letting a sedentary lifestyle do them in. There are plenty of ways to exercise at home. • Get an okay from your doctor and yes, a Face Time conference counts. • Start slowly • Exercise at home using DVDs, Zoom, or Internet classes • Ask a friend to join you for exercise or walk. Whether you are staying home or practicing safe social distancing while out and about, there is no need to give up exercising.