Coronavirus has resulted in us following the government-mandated stay-at-home guidelines. For senior citizens, this means living a much more sedentary lifestyle than they were living before the pandemic. This isn’t good though. In fact, it can be downright dangerous.
The results of a sedentary lifestyle for seniors
When senior citizens don’t get enough exercise, it can result in a higher risk of developing a stroke or a heart attack. Proper exercise can also be a help against Type 2 diabetes and loss of bone density. Additionally, movement is necessary for arthritis patients in particular. This is because it can help them retain their joints’ range of motion while also limiting the amount of pain that they’re in. Even if they don’t have arthritis already, a sedentary lifestyle can still result in decreased flexibility and mobility. This can lead to other issues as a person continues to grow older.
Additionally, some research demonstrates a sedentary lifestyle can also increase a person’s risk for developing certain types of cancers, in the specific colon, endometrial (uterus), and lung cancer.
It’s also important to note here that since a sedentary lifestyle impacts your cardiovascular health, it can also impact your hearing. This is because your blood circulation won’t be nearly as good as it could be. As such, the cochlea in your inner ear won’t be able to get the blood flow it needs for maximal hearing efficiency.
To lessen the likelihood of developing these health risks, senior citizens should get 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This can be done all at once or it can be split up into smaller amounts of time as long as 30 minutes is achieved. While you may think that this would be a pretty big challenge, especially with coronavirus keeping everyone indoors today, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many small things you can do throughout your day – even during a commercial break when you’re watching your favorite TV program.
Functional fitness
Functional fitness is important because it trains your body for everyday activities – ones that are necessary for helping you maintain your quality of life (e.g. walking, standing up when you’ve been sitting down, being able to get up off the floor on your own). Maintaining all your functional abilities can be a lot of work. The more you can move around, the better. You may have to be creative, but it can and should be done.
Get up and move to the music
Dancing will help you get a full range of motion. While this isn’t a full workout, it is a good low-impact option for getting some movement in. The music itself is also emotionally and behaviorally beneficial, especially if you have any potential cognitive issues (e.g. Alzheimer’s, dementia). It’s been shown to reduce anxiety and relieve depression too.
If you’re concerned about hearing loss or think you or a loved one may need a hearing test, contact Countryside Hearing Aid Services today.
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