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Best Yoga & Strength Training Exercises to Keep Every Senior Healthy

Best Yoga & Strength Training Exercises  to Keep Every Senior Healthy

It’s important that seniors do all that they can to stay in shape and optimal health. In order to get the best quality out of life, it's ideal seniors make it a point to preserve their overall health and wellness and in order to do that, they should work out at least 3-4 times a week for about 30 minutes each session.

Though many seniors want to workout, many have not found the right workouts that work for their body, and that they enjoy. If this sounds like you, or you simply are a senior that is looking for something new, try some of the following workouts.

These are four excellent workouts that every senior can incorporate into his or her life and will improve the quality and longevity of it. 

What are the Best Workouts for Seniors?

It’s common for seniors’ bodies to not move the way that they used to; so it’s important that they do workouts that will not injure their body in any way and will preserve their strength and mobility. It is also important that anyone find workouts that they enjoy doing, and work well for their body, so they continue to practice regularly. Here are some workouts can do just that.

Yoga 

If you are a senior looking for a new workout, consider starting out with yoga. Yoga is a great workout for people of all ages but can be especially great for seniors because it will preserve their strength and muscle tone. Yoga for seniors requires different muscle groups to work together, creating stability and strength in the body.

There are various kinds of yoga that seniors can benefit from. Practice any of these different styles of yoga to find the ones you enjoy most:

Yin

Bikram

Vinyasa

Kundalini

Hatha

Seniors should make it a point to strengthen their muscles so that they don’t lose the ability to get around. Yoga will also keep seniors’ hearts healthy and will prevent them from gaining weight with age. 

Not only is yoga outstanding for a senior’s bodies, but it’s also great for their mind as it will allow them to practice mindfulness. In fact, yoga is so beneficial for seniors that many spiritual retirement communities offer it to their residents as a way to keep them active. 

Strength Training

Like yoga, strength training helps seniors preserve his or her muscles and will also keep a senior from gaining weight or lose weight. Strength training can be done with or without weights; some seniors prefer to use their body weight as their form of resistance. Similarly, strength training can also be done at a gym or at home.

It’s recommended that when a senior begins weight training that he or she learns how to do it with a personal trainer or someone that is trained in the field. Strength training puts anyone at risk of injury if not done right, but especially seniors because their bodies are a bit more prone to injury. 

Some strength training exercises for seniors to try include:

Lying hip bridges

Squats

Wall push-ups

Toe stands

Dead bugs

Outdoor Walks and Runs

Outdoor walks and runs are some of the easiest yet most beneficial ways to work out as a senior. Outdoor walks and runs will keep a senior’s heart-healthy and will get him or her up and moving. Walks and runs can be done at any time of the day and do not require any equipment or a new skill that needs to be learned.

Outdoor walks will get you up and moving and are great to do with friends, your significant other, or even just your dog. Outdoor runs will also keep you from sitting around all day. However, outdoor runs can be a bit more physically demanding on the body so start off slow; perhaps running a half a mile the first week, then slowly increase your distance. 

Start Your Workout Journey Today

People of all ages can benefit from making it a point to work out a few days a week. Whether a person wants to lose weight, or he or she wants to build more muscle tone, making time to workout is imperative. Working out doesn’t have to be intense, nor does it have to be challenging. Keep the above workouts in mind as you begin your workout journey today.

By Kelsey Simpson

Kelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.

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