Maintaining and improving your senior’s quality of life is probably pretty high on your list of wants as her family caregiver. It might surprise you to know that exercise could be an easy way to accomplish that goal and many others.
Physical Activity Helps with Emotional and Physical Well-being
Physical exertion, even just a little bit, helps your senior to work her muscles and joints. It helps to slow down muscle loss and can help her to increase her muscle tone if she’s trying to do so. But it also helps with her emotional well-being because of all the chemicals released by her brain. Exercise helps to reduce cortisol, which is a hormone associated with stress.
Your Senior May Not Have to Exercise as Much as She Fears
When your senior hears you mention moving more, she might feel that you’re talking about something extremely complicated or intense. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Just incorporating a little bit more activity into every day can be really helpful. If your senior already walks a little, increasing her step count gradually gives her that movement. Wearing a pedometer or fitness tracker can be a great way to track her progress.
Talk to Her Doctor Before She Starts a Movement Plan
If your elderly family member hasn’t been moving much at all, or is planning to increase her activity levels significantly, she should talk with her doctor before doing so. This is going to give her a baseline for starting her new activity plan and ensures that she knows what her limitations are. Your senior’s doctor can help her to plot out when it’s safe to slowly increase her movement plans.
Consider Elderly Care Providers if She Has Mobility Issues
Mobility issues are definitely something to keep in mind as you and your senior make these plans. Elderly care providers can be there for your senior as companionship while she walks, gardens, or does any number of other activities. They can also ensure that she’s safe while she’s doing those things. It can make a huge difference for her to have someone there that she can lean on.
Sit down with your senior and determine what her goals are for this phase of her life. It’s possible that moving more is part of helping her to ensure that she is able to meet those goals in the most efficient way possible.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering elderly care in Denver, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today. Call us at (303) 756-9322.
