On 01 Feb, 2025, Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live Webinar with a Senior Physiotherapist, Dr Dharitri Brahmbhatt (PT) who spoke on and answered questions about Safe Exercises for Seniors
Dr Dharitri Brahmbhatt (PT) is a Clinical & Corporate Wellness Head at Physiotattva. With over 14 years of extensive experience as a physiotherapist, Dr. Dharitri Brahmbhatt is a highly skilled healthcare professional specializing in musculoskeletal and sports (orthopedic) rehabilitation. Her vast clinical expertise and dedication to patient care have made her a trusted name in the field of physiotherapy.
Dr. Dharitri’s decade-long tenure at Fortis Hospital provided her with unparalleled exposure to diverse medical cases, ranging from orthopedic and neurological conditions to cardiac, women’s health, and geriatric care. Her comprehensive approach and evidence-based treatment strategies have consistently delivered positive outcomes for her patients.
Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Dharitri has a deep commitment to geriatric care. She has worked extensively with senior patients, including those in old age homes, providing personalized rehabilitation programs that enhance mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.
Some common myths that are often encountered around the subject of exercises for senior citizens. Some of these are:
- I am already old, exercising will not make me any younger
- I am old and soon going to die, so exercising will be of no benefit to me
- Exercising is not meant for the elderly
- The elderly should save their strength and rest. It is thought that exercising consumes a lot of your energy
- Exercising puts the elderly at a risk for falls
- Its too late, I’m already too old to start exercising- it is never too late
- I’m disabled and hence can’t exercise sitting down- there are many exercises that can be done in the sitting down and lying down position and test exercises in the long run can help you regain your strength and even help you start sitting and stand up, even walking
Ageing is a normal physiological process. As we age, so does our body and that can be seen in the form of changes in our skin, hair, internal bony changes. There are even certain medical conditions that affect us as we age.
Some of the most common age related changes that we see are in the form of:
– Cardiovascular diseases i.e. it affects our heart health.
- Our heart is also a muscle and as we grow old, much like the rest of the muscles of our body get weaker, similarly, our heart also gets weak.
- And to strengthen a weakened muscle, you need to exercise. Sam his the case with the heart muscle; if you have heart related ailments, your heart too can be strengthened with exercise.
- If you are always active and regularly exercise, you can prevent heart related conditions.
- Cerebrovascular accidents such as stroke which can make the individual weak or paralysed on one side of the body, it can also affect their gait and can be confined to a wheel chair or a walker. These too can be prevented with exercise
- High blood pressure
- Dementia. Memory loss is also a part of the process of ageing due to shrinking of the cells of the brain and degenerative changes. However, dementia is a medical condition which requires intervention which requires intervention.
- Parkinsons disease is also seen in the elderly and can affect their balance, gait, coordination, tremors
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which is an obstructive lung disease
- Osteoarthritis which is nothing but the degeneration of your bones, which is a part of the ageing process, however for some people this process can be faster, for others it can be slower. If you are active and regularly exercise, you can slow down the process of arthritis
- Generalised muscle weakness
- Balance issues- this is a major issue which can lead to falls and furthermore fractures
Physical health benefits of exercising for seniors are:
- Exercise helps seniors to help maintain/ lose weight
- It helps building muscle mass
- Exercising regularly reduces the impact of illness and chronic disease
- Exercising regularly can also help slow down the process of ageing
- It helps you stay fitter, enhances your mobility, flexibility and balance
- Improves muscle strength and endurance
- It improves your cardiovascular health and also in maintaining your blood pressure
Mental health benefits of exercising for seniors are:
When you exercise, good and happy hormones are released which result in
- Better quality of sleep
- It also boosts your mood and increases your self confidence and is thus good for your brain
- Exercising regularly helps prevent memory loss by reducing the degenerative changes in the brain
- Regular exercise gives you a sense of well being and happiness
Some tips you get you started:
- It is important to get a medical clearance before you start your exercise routine. Some of the seniors might have ailments that might have certain physical restrictions
- When you plan your exercise regime, you should consider your health concerns such as a patient of stroke who is unable to go outside and can set up a gym at home and exercise at home. You can also explore the option of home care wherein the physiotherapists come to your home and help you exercise
- Start slow in the beginning and gradually progressively increase your intensity
- When you have started, it is important that you recognise your problems and limitations, if any and try addressing them in your exercises plan
- Always plan ahead before you start
Tips for building a balanced exercise plan:
- 1st building block: Cardio Endurance Exercise
- If your heart and lungs are strong, your endurance will be higher
- Once your endurance improves, it becomes easier for you to further progress
- 2nd building block: Strength training
- To help you increase your muscle strength. If you are someone who uses a walker, you need to have the upper body strength to lift your walker and then to a stick and then walking without support
- 3rd building block: Flexibility
- When you are not flexible, it can lead to spine related concerns such as back pain
- You need to stretch all you tight muscles of the back, hip and legs to help take care of your pain related concerns
- 4th building block: Balance
Safe exercises for the elderly population should include a combination of aerobic and resistance training. These can be:
- Moderate endurance exercises:
- Brisk walking on a level surface with proper walking shoes
- Swimming
- Gardening
- Stationary cycling
- Bicycling on a level surface
- Vigorous endurance exercises:
- Climbing stairs or hills
- Brisk bicycling uphill once your endurance is improved
- Jogging provided you do not have any knee related concerns
- Digging holes or gardening
- Flexibility and stretch
- Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch
- Hamstring Stretches- hamstrings are the muscles behind your thigh
- Abdominal Stretches
- Neck Stretches
- Balance Exercise
- Standing On One Foot
- Walking Heel to Toe, this is also called tandem walking
- Balance Walk wherein you balance is challenged
- Hand and finger exercises
- Strength and resistance training exercises
- Push-ups
- Lifting weights
- Dumb-bell & thera-band exercises, start with smaller weights and then gradually increase your weight and do it under proper supervision and guidance
- Gym training
- Aqua/Hydro Therapy
- Relaxation Exercises
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Breathing Exercises
Potential benefits of aerobic training in the elderly:
- increases your lung capacity
- Increases your metabolic rate
- Decreases your triglycerides and cholesterol
- Increased your HDL levels (good cholesterol)
- Improves your glucose tolerance
- Helps reduce and manage your blood pressure
- Increases your bone mineral density
- Decreases your risk for falls
Gyms are safe for the elderly. However certain things that need to be kept in mind are:
- Ensure that you get your health check up before you start going to the gym
- The gym that you join should have a licensed and well trained trainer
- Go slow and slowly. Avoid being over enthusiastic in the beginning itself
- Don’t compare yourself with others in the gym
- Work only on your requirements
- Gradually progress and increase your intensity
Physiotattva can also help you with your concerns and help you in your journey to become fitter YOU! Exercises and activities available include:
- Aerobics training
- Strength and resistance training
- Cardiac rehab
- Pulmonary rehab
- Geriatric group therapy sessions
- Aqua therapy for the seniors
- Neuro rehab for the seniors
- Pilates for seniors
- Yoga
