January 24, 2025
If your mom or dad is living independently but they have some mobility challenges, getting enough exercise may be very challenging for them. Exercise is essential for good health. It helps seniors manage their weight, keep their bones strong, and it can improve balance and flexibility.
But if your mom or dad has health issues or past injuries that make it impossible for them to do traditional exercises like walking or swimming, that doesn’t mean they can’t exercise at all. There is a huge range of simplified exercises that seniors can do from a chair, from bed, or standing up that will give them the benefits of exercise.
If your mom or dad is living on their own and they struggle to keep up with household chores because of their limited mobility, home care assistance can help. With home care assistance, your mom or dad can continue to do any tasks that they are physically able to do or that they like to do, but a care provider can do the tasks that are too hard for them.
A home care assistance provider can also encourage your mom or dad to try some of these exercises that can improve their ability to get around the house, use their hands, and be more physically active:
Chair exercises are perfect for seniors with mobility problems because they provide stability and reduce the risk of falls. A sturdy chair is all that’s needed for these seated activities. Chair exercises can help your mom or dad improve their muscle tone, circulation, and flexibility without putting strain on the joints.
Resistance bands are lightweight, affordable, and great for building strength. These elastic bands provide gentle resistance, making them suitable for seniors with limited strength or range of motion. Resistance band exercises can help strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance balance.
Make sure your mom or dad has resistance bands in a variety of resistance levels so that they can challenge themselves when they are feeling strong, or go easy when they are having a hard day.
Stretching exercises are great for helping seniors like your mom or dad maintain flexibility and prevent stiffness. If your mom or dad has mobility challenges that limit their ability to walk doing stretching exercises can help improve circulation and reduce pain. These exercises can be done in a seated or lying position, depending on comfort and ability. They can also help your mom or dad improve their range of motion.
Using light hand weights, seniors can perform simple exercises to strengthen their upper body. Start with weights as light as one or two pounds and gradually increase as strength improve. These exercises can improve arm, shoulder, and back strength while promoting better posture.
Deep breathing combined with gentle core exercises helps improve lung capacity, circulation, and abdominal strength. These exercises are simple and can be done seated or lying down. These exercises are particularly useful for relaxation and improving respiratory health.
If your mom or dad is recovering from an illness or a hospital stay, deep breathing exercises and light stretching may be able to help them recover more quickly.
