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chair and moving around the house or a maintaining a healthy weight can become a
neighbourhood. Physically active older challenge. Regular exercise helps increase
adults are also less likely to fall, which can your metabolism and build muscle mass,
lead to serious injuries. helping your body to burn more calories.
Exercise improves muscle strength and Reduce the impact of illness and chronic
bone density as well, which is especially disease. People who exercise tend to
important for women since they lose bone have improved immune and digestive
density at a faster pace after menopause functioning, better blood pressure and bone
than men. Meanwhile, the benefits of density, and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s
exercise for the heart and lungs help disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease,
promote overall health and offset some osteoporosis, and certain cancers.
risks for chronic illnesses and disease. Enhance your mobility, flexibility, and
A recent research study found that balance. Exercise improves your strength,
physical activity was the number one flexibility, and posture, which in turn can
contributor to longevity, adding extra help with your balance and coordination,
years to your life—even if you don’t start and reduce your risk of falls.
exercising until your senior years. But
getting active is not just about adding years Mental health benefits
to your life, it’s about adding life to your Exercise can also help you to:
years. Improve how well you sleep. Quality sleep
Getting moving can help boost your is vital for your overall health as you get
energy and is also good for your mind, older. Regular activity can help you fall
mood, and memory. It’s never too late to asleep faster, sleep more deeply, and wake
find simple, enjoyable ways to become feeling more energetic and refreshed. Boost
more active, improve your mood and your mood and self-confidence. Exercise is
outlook, and reap all of the physical and a huge stress reliever and the endorphins
mental health benefits of exercise at home. produced can actually help reduce feelings
of sadness, depression, and anxiety. Being
active and feeling strong can also help you
feel more self-confident.
Improve your brain function Activities
like Sudoku or crossword puzzles can help
keep your brain active, but little comes
close to the beneficial effects of exercise
on the brain. It can aid brain functions as
diverse as multitasking and creativity, and
help to prevent memory loss, cognitive
Physical health benefits of exercise for decline, and dementia. Getting active may
older adults even help slow the progression of brain
As an older adult, exercise at home can help disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
you to:
Maintain or lose weight. As your Building a balanced exercise plan
metabolism naturally slows with age, Staying active is not a science. Just
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #31 | JANUARY 2022 39
