Four Tips for Inspiring Your Senior to Embrace Exercise

By Robert D. Liken CPC, CTS, President

August 1, 2018

Starting a new exercise program is difficult to do, but your senior can do so successfully. It’s important to make sure that the plan she’s willing to try is within healthy ranges for her, so talk to her doctor before you put the plan in motion.

Elderly Care in Cranberry Twp PA: Senior Exercise
Elderly Care in Cranberry Twp PA: Senior Exercise

 
Investigate the Why
There’s always a “why” when someone is starting a new exercise program. That “why,” might be because your senior is not feeling as strong as she used to and she wants that to change. Or perhaps her doctor has suggested that she start exercising in order to improve her health. The why might be a combination of other factors, too. No matter what the why, it’s important to understand it so that you can help your senior focus on her goals.
Can Exercise Replace Some Bad Habits?
Exercise can be a great distraction from some bad habits. If your elderly family member tends to snack often, one way around that is to pause for a quick walk or a series of stretches and then see if she still wants that snack. Or perhaps your senior is trying to quit smoking. Gradually improving her cardio can be such a motivator that your senior may think twice about lighting up.
Look for the Obstacles
There are almost always obstacles to a consistent exercise plan. The trick is to figure out how to get around them. For your senior, there might be a lot of obstacles. She might not feel like she has the energy right now or perhaps she has joint pain that she worries will get worse. Or she might not like to exercise at all. Once you know what’s holding her back, you can find the answers.
Find Some Solutions
For instance, exercising helps to improve energy levels. Also, exercise helps to warm up joints and keep them limber, but check with her doctor. For people who don’t like exercise, having an exercise partner can really help a lot. Your elderly family member might enjoy walking with friends at the mall or joining an exercise class at the local gym. But if she doesn’t have someone to exercise with, you might want to consider hiring home care providers just to ensure that she’s not completely on her own. This can help her to feel safer.
When you and your elderly family member look at her new exercise plan as a lifelong series of adjustments, it’s easier to help her to pace herself. She doesn’t have to become a world-class athlete overnight and this is something that she can do slowly and safely.

If you are considering Elderly Care in Cranberry Twp, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care. Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551.