The neat thing about fitness is that it’s ageless. Many people incorporate some type of exercise routine into their daily lives to remain active and healthy. This may be as simple as walking around the neighborhood to do something more intense like weightlifting or CrossFit. Either way, if you’re an older adult, you need to remain safe when performing any physical activity. Read these important exercise safety tips for active seniors to learn more.
Know Your Limits
Everyone’s body is different. Some seniors may have chronic health conditions that impede their physical capabilities. Others may have cognitive or behavior difficulties. Either way, it’s important to know your limits. One commonality humans share is that their bodies change with age. Primarily, you may experience more muscle aches than you did in your youth. Even still, there are ways to deal with muscle aches as you age to remain safe and healthy. All told, when engaging in any type of exercise, you should know your limits so that you avoid straining your muscles or joints. Consult your doctor for medical advice beforehand.
Use Proper Form
Additionally, use proper form when exercising. You may have heard it before from notable celebrities, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jane Fonda, in exercise instructional videos, and they had a point. Maintaining proper form is one of the most basic ways to avoid injury. Simply put, having good posture, and performing exercise movements without swinging, jerking around, or being limp avoids awkward body movements and thus saves you from potential injury.
Have a Partner
Another important exercise safety tip for active seniors is to have a partner with you. There’s nothing wrong with performing exercises alone. However, having a partner present can help with proper form and keep you consistent in your training. You two can push each other to your limits with respect to each other’s health conditions. Training partners further ensure you don’t drop anything or have any health issues as you run, walk, lift, or engage in other exercises. In the worst-case scenario, they can also call emergency services if something happens.
Change Up the Workout
After a certain point, your body may get accustomed to the same training routine. It’s helpful to change your workout when you notice your body is starting to plateau. Not only does this further your fitness goals, but doing so also helps prevent muscle stagnation and makes you less prone to stress and injury. Consider changing up your style of training with both anaerobic and aerobic activities to keep your heart healthy and muscles active and maintain body weight.
