Exercising If You're Elderly or Disabled
_ If you have a disability or
if you're older, exercising may seem more impossible than it is even for your
"able-bodied" peers. It's true that today, one third of people
in this country are overweight or obese, and the number is growing every day.
And if you're disabled or older and have mobility issues, you might fight this problem, too, only it's compounded by the fact that you really do have trouble moving, not just that you're too lazy.
Fortunately, there are exercises you can do that are geared to your abilities and can still get your heart rate pumping (in a good way), get you sweating just a little bit, and give the muscles flexability so that you can stay as healthy and active as possible.
Here are some ways you can do it. (Of course, check with your doctor first to make sure that exercise is not contraindicated in some way.)
Exercising on your own
Getting started on exercise can be as simple as sitting in your chair in front of the TV and take a soup can in either hand, then lifting them over your head, 10 times each. You can also do "bicep curls" with them, again 10 times each, for an easy way to build some muscle tone. If you can't do 10, start with five.
Yoga
Check your local bookstore and the Internet exercise programs based on "gentle yoga," and other similar focuses. These programs are meant for people who have been sedentary or who are disabled or injured, yet they have many of the same benefits as traditional yoga.
Most of these practices can be done from a sitting position and in a chair; some are done in standing position, but they can be modified if you must sit.
Swimming
Many local swimming facilities specifically cater to disabled or elderly folks. Find out if they have specialized classes. Even if you can't "swim", trying some weightless exercise with help in a lap pool can ease arthritis pains and make you more limber.
Rebounding
These "mini trampolines" are making a rebound, literally. They're becoming increasingly popular as a no-impact or low-impact way to exercise even for those who have difficulty with traditional exercise. They're easy on joints and provide good cardiovascular and strength training exercise all in one exercise.
Many models come with a stabilizing bar so that if someone has balance issues, they can stand on the rebounder, hang on to the bar and do a gentle "health bounce" to receive many of the same benefits as traditional rebounding exercises give users.
Check out "disabled sports"
Most large communities have organized disabled sports that are truly the real thing. Not watered down versions of actual sports, no, participants are truly athletes and they're really serious about what they're doing.
Many places have organized track, basketball, soccer, and sailing. You can search the Internet for these types of communities, too. Many places have online forums, and there may be someone in one of them who knows where you can look in your area for groups who participate in this type of activity.
And if you're disabled or older and have mobility issues, you might fight this problem, too, only it's compounded by the fact that you really do have trouble moving, not just that you're too lazy.
Fortunately, there are exercises you can do that are geared to your abilities and can still get your heart rate pumping (in a good way), get you sweating just a little bit, and give the muscles flexability so that you can stay as healthy and active as possible.
Here are some ways you can do it. (Of course, check with your doctor first to make sure that exercise is not contraindicated in some way.)
Exercising on your own
Getting started on exercise can be as simple as sitting in your chair in front of the TV and take a soup can in either hand, then lifting them over your head, 10 times each. You can also do "bicep curls" with them, again 10 times each, for an easy way to build some muscle tone. If you can't do 10, start with five.
Yoga
Check your local bookstore and the Internet exercise programs based on "gentle yoga," and other similar focuses. These programs are meant for people who have been sedentary or who are disabled or injured, yet they have many of the same benefits as traditional yoga.
Most of these practices can be done from a sitting position and in a chair; some are done in standing position, but they can be modified if you must sit.
Swimming
Many local swimming facilities specifically cater to disabled or elderly folks. Find out if they have specialized classes. Even if you can't "swim", trying some weightless exercise with help in a lap pool can ease arthritis pains and make you more limber.
Rebounding
These "mini trampolines" are making a rebound, literally. They're becoming increasingly popular as a no-impact or low-impact way to exercise even for those who have difficulty with traditional exercise. They're easy on joints and provide good cardiovascular and strength training exercise all in one exercise.
Many models come with a stabilizing bar so that if someone has balance issues, they can stand on the rebounder, hang on to the bar and do a gentle "health bounce" to receive many of the same benefits as traditional rebounding exercises give users.
Check out "disabled sports"
Most large communities have organized disabled sports that are truly the real thing. Not watered down versions of actual sports, no, participants are truly athletes and they're really serious about what they're doing.
Many places have organized track, basketball, soccer, and sailing. You can search the Internet for these types of communities, too. Many places have online forums, and there may be someone in one of them who knows where you can look in your area for groups who participate in this type of activity.