Those who keep active often feel and look better than those with monotonous, routined lifestyles. Being active gives you more energy as the endorphins combat stress hormones and promote well-being. Exercise reduces the chances of you being diagnosed with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In addition, physical activity aids in diminishing pain due to arthritis. A healthy body translates to a healthy mind as those who exercise regularly have better cognitive health.
Your workout should include cardio, flexibility, strength, and balance training. To summarize, here is a list of spring exercises you can do to revitalize your body.
Swimming
Swimming is a form of cardiovascular exercise and enhances endurance and flexibility. Exercising in water provides resistance to muscles and joints without adding unnecessary tension due to the buoyancy of the water. Motioning through the water stretches and strengthens the predominant muscle groups in the arms, backs, shoulders, and legs. Trying different swimming strokes engages different muscle groups.
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics offers cardiovascular benefits in strength training. It aids arthritis and joint pain, as water brings natural resistance. Your strength, balance, and flexibility will be enhanced. Such exercises include aqua jogging, standing push-ups, leg lifts, arms curls, or flutter kicks. The exercises performed during water aerobics workouts strengthen the muscles in the entire body.
Yoga
Different yoga poses help enhance one’s overall endurance, strengthen muscles and joints, and increase stability and mobility. You can try going to a fitness center for beginner yoga classes that are specially catered to seniors. If you prefer staying indoors, get a beginner’s yoga DVD or subscribe to an online trainer so that you can exercise in private. You can also try chair yoga which provides less tension on joints and bones, hence being better suited for seniors. Exercises include overhead stretch, seated cow stretch, seated cat stretch, seated twist, and seated mountain pose.
Pilates
A low-impact exercise with an emphasis on concentration, core strength, and alignment, pilates involve mats and pilates balls to build strength without exerting too much stress. It improves balance and flexibility while developing core strength. Exercises include mermaid movement, side circles, food slides, leg circles, and step-ups.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi puts participants in a tranquil, relaxed state as they make slow, fluid movements in various poses. This exercise boosts balance, flexibility, and strength. As Tai Chi is gentle on joints, it is ideal for those with hip, knee, ankle, and back problems. Classes are held in city parks, recreation and fitness centers, or Tai Chi studios. Retirement communities also offer such classes to invigorate their residents.
Low-Impact Sports
Low-impact games offer you the chance to enjoy fresh air and sunshine while engaging in simple physical activity. Examples include horseshoes and crochet which require the use of upper body and arm motions and walking from one point to another. Even a simple game of catch can enhance your hand-eye coordination and increase arm and upper body strength.
Start Now
Start your fitness journey now! However, it is important to check with your physician to determine if you are healthy enough for exercise and which exercises are suitable based on your current fitness condition.
