Working out and staying active is a vital part of senior living and home care specialists often encourage this in a routine. One of the best things about having a caregiver or someone to help a senior out is they can drive the seniors to easy workout classes. This allows the seniors to be social and be active which promotes mental and physical health.
A senior may not be well suited for a kickboxing class but there are tons of other classes that are hosted meant for older adults. Your caregiver or home care provider can help the senior find a class that they may be interested in. Every good caregiver will come up with a care plan and that will include ways of keeping the senior healthy and active.
If you are stumped on how to help your parent who is a senior, here are a few workout classes they may enjoy. Bring it up over lunch and ask them if they would like to try it out. Not everyone is the same and they may prefer other ways of staying active.
Fun Workout Classes for Seniors
Seniors should not be attending regular workout classes; they will need classes specifically aimed at seniors. These classes should focus on low-intensity workouts that do not overwork the body. A sore senior is never a good thing. Here are some ideas to start with.
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics has become not only popular for seniors but also many other age groups. It allows someone to get a full-body workout without being too sore to move the next day. It is low-impact which means it really doesn’t hurt your body but still gives you all the benefits of exercise.
Each class will focus on different things. They may do water jogging, weights, flutter kicks, and leg lifts. All of these are a good way to build strength and also help balance. It is a fun way to be social, and a home care provider can easily take seniors to these classes.
Chair Yoga
This is one of the best workout classes for seniors who want to focus on movement, mobility, muscle strength, and of course, flexibility. Yoga is one of the best low-impact workouts for seniors, and it will help keep them healthy for a very long time. No matter who is exercising, it is essential to stay as active as possible.
Chair yoga is even less stressful on the body than normal yoga. It is one of the best ways to get out, meet people, stay healthy, and even improve a senior’s mental health. If a home care specialist is worried about the mental health of a senior, it may be time to encourage yoga practice.
Pilates for Seniors
Although this is not a new workout, it is something that your senior may have never tried before. It is another low-intensity workout class that can provide the senior with positive results. Core strength, concentration, and breathing are all focus areas in the class. It can help build strength while still being very low-impact.