What Does Exercise Have to Do with Independence?
One of your senior’s biggest goals might be to maintain her independence for as long as she can. This can be such an important goal, in fact, that your elderly family member might make decisions like resisting help, which can make you worry about her even more. If she’s healthy enough to exercise, that might be just what she’s looking for as a way to keep her independence.
Caregiver in Glencoe IL: Exercise and Independence
Your Senior’s Balance Is Better
Improving balance is one of the best ways to help your senior to stay as independent as possible. Without strong balance, your elderly family member is more likely to experience a fall and that’s incredibly dangerous. Older adults who fall once are twice as likely to fall again and falls can lead to severe injuries, too. By moving more often, especially through activities such as walking that encourage balance, your senior may find that her balance improves rapidly.
She May Have More Energy and Better Moods
Exercise has a host of positive effects, including boosting energy for people who exercise regularly. This is for multiple reasons. First, exercise causes your senior’s brain to release chemicals that help with positive feelings and there’s better blood flow in general. On top of that, your senior is likely to be sleeping better, which definitely helps with energy levels. She’s also more likely to crave healthier food choices, which fuel her body better.
Your Senior Keeps More Muscle Tone
Losing muscle tone is a big problem for aging adults. If your senior starts to exercise, she can rebuild some of what she’s lost. She can also hang onto some of her muscle tone that is still there. The exercises that help with this don’t have to be intense, either. Just using those muscles helps them to stick around longer than they might have otherwise.
Exercise Can Help with Managing Chronic Health Concerns
If your elderly family member is battling chronic health issues, she’s likely already trying a variety of solutions. Exercise might help, though. If her doctor clears her to exercise, it can help with everything from high blood pressure to weakened bones. The right exercise won’t necessarily cure your senior’s health issues, but it can help her body to become stronger.
Your senior may experience some of these benefits right away when she starts exercising, but some take time to develop. Having a caregiver there with her when she exercises can help her to stay as safe as possible.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Glencoe, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
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