Late Fall Walks

The inclement weather of late fall and early winter can isolate seniors, keeping them homebound and depriving them of exercise.   Why not suggest a walk in the mall where your mom or dad can window shop?

A trip to the gym or YMCA could include light weights and walks on the treadmill.   Or contact a local community center to learn what classes might be available to help you and your aging parents stay active this holiday season.

Don’t fall in the “give up exercise” trap during holidays, family visits, vacations and other time devourers, instead - make a schedule for the next few months that includes family obligations, and pencil in exercise sessions just like any other appointment. Work out at least three times a week instead of five so that while you may not build new strength, you won’t be losing ground, either.

And remember, it’s important to stay hydrated - drink plenty of water all day long, and especially before and during workouts.

Have a great holiday season, don’t eat too much, and exercise!

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors live safely at home. Call 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959 for Home Care and Independence.

When seniors are looking to interact more with their grandchildren and stay healthy at the same time, we suggest challenging a grandchild to a week of walking!  Wear a pedometer - both you and grandchild - you will be able to count the steps each day for a week. Then continue to use the pedometer throughout the year, striving for a 20-percent increase in step totals, and aiming for 10,000 steps a day.  This also is an activity that our CAREGivers do with clients of Home Instead Senior Care Austin.

Walking Tips for Seniors:

* Our upcoming Fall season can be the perfect time to start walking!  The weather is cooler. Fall colors are beautiful. And senses and memories can come alive during a stroll through a nearby park.
* As you walk look at the colors, sounds, smells and feel of the leaves. Reminisce about the things enjoyed  while growing up and the middle years. There are wonderful stories that will stimulate memories.

Before you start your walking - your natural shock absorbers (or “fat padding”) in seniors’ feet deteriorate with age. So does bone density, particularly in women. Combined, these factors make seniors prone to stress fractures. Softer ground produces less shock than harder surfaces and is more foot-friendly. If possible, walk on grass or dirt paths which are flat, even and well-manicured.

Be on the alert later in the fall when cold weather becomes an issue. The cold can cause numbness, limiting the client’s ability to detect trauma or wounds to the feet. It also makes surfaces harder, resulting in more shock to the feet and ankles with every step. When the weather gets too cold, or in our case now, too hot, continue your walking in the local mall, an indoor track or an exercise facility.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors live safely at home. Call 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959 for Home Care and Independence.

Older adults who participate regularly in physical activity programs in their community can see noticeable improvement in upper- and lower-body strength, a new study finds.

While past research has shown that exercising three to five times per week for at least 30 minutes has many health benefits, more than 60 percent of older adults don’t exercise consistently.

“Some do not participate because they may not realize that exercise still provides benefits at older ages; some have chronic conditions that they worry could be made worse by exercise; and some can’t find a good program at a good price at a convenient location,” said Susan Hughes of the Center for Research on Health and Aging at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Researchers looked at whether attending a best-practice exercise program in the community would influence older adults’ exercise participation and provide other health benefits. They evaluated three exercise programs that included flexibility, aerobic and strengthening exercises. 

The study included 544 participants with an average age of 66. They were evaluated before the exercise program began and at five- and 10-month intervals. Researchers found that those seniors who participated in the community programs increased their frequency of total physical activity by 26 percent, compared with 9 percent in the control group.