Keeping Active: Why Should Seniors Exercise?

Whether or not you are receiving in-home care in South Hills, Pennsylvania, growing older does not automatically mean slowing down. In fact, health and senior care experts encourage individuals who are over fifty years old to stay physically fit and active. Science has backed this recommendation, saying that exercise can help boost a person’s health and energy levels, and increase the possibility of older adults staying independent into their sixties, seventies, or even beyond.

Despite this, the National Health Service (NHS) estimated that most seniors aged sixty-five and above spend, on average, at least ten hours every day either sitting or lying down. As being this inactive raises your risk of obesity and other diseases, your local provider of outstanding non-medical home care in Venetia, Pennsylvania recommends ensuring that you are getting at least some level of regular physical activity.

But how much physical activity do elderly individuals aged sixty-five and above need to stay fit? Well, according to NHS, members of this demographic ought to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week (e.g., cycling, walking), as well as muscle-strength exercises at least twice per week. Or they could also choose to do seventy-five minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week (e.g., running), combined with muscle-strength exercises twice or more every week. If you are the type who likes to do a combination of both moderate and vigorous aerobic activities, you can also choose to mix them, without forgetting to do strength exercises on two or more days weekly. However, our team at Happy At Home – In Home Care Inc. would like you to take note of the fact that while these are expert-recommended guidelines, they do not need to be followed on the dot. If you find it difficult to stick to the suggestions, any amount of physical activity would be better than not doing anything at all.

Caring for seniors does not have to be difficult. Let us assist you with our quality home care services in Pennsylvania.