It is ideal for everyone to make exercise part of their routine, but for older adults, staying physically active after retirement becomes even more important. While there are concerns surrounding exercise within this demographic, its benefits far outweigh its risks, and extend beyond the obvious, like improvements in lipid profile, losing weight, and improvements in blood pressure.
Improved Mental and Cognitive Health
After a satisfying bout of exercise, some people experience what’s known as a “runner’s high.” Living an active lifestyle leads to a variety of mental health benefits, one of them being its ability to affect a person’s disposition and mood. Exercise leads to a release in endorphins, which is shown to lessen feelings of depression and anxiety, as well as greatly reduce stress.
Staying physically active after retirement keeps your brain active and helps to improve brain function, just like solving crossword or Sudoku puzzles. It can aid brain functions as diverse as creativity and multitasking, and slow or prevent cognitive decline, memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease, helping your loved ones to stay focused and lead a higher-quality life with more energy.
Improved Cardiovascular Strength and Balance
Keeping the body strong is one of the most important responsibilities for an older adult, and individuals who live more sedentary lifestyles have a higher chance of suffering from atrophied muscles, poor blood flow, unsteady balance, difficulty breathing and walking, heart disease, among many other issues.
Luckily, even simply getting off the couch and carrying out light exercise counts as staying physically active after retirement. Light, regular exercise can be a powerful tool for preventable disease management, on top of increased cardiovascular and bone strength, mobility, and better blood pressure.
Since older adults are particularly at risk of serious injury after a fall, especially if bone strength and density are low, building muscle strength and improving bone health is possible through low-impact exercises. Ideally, a mix of cardio and strength training will give you that boost of energy that will improve your overall heart health and balance, helping you maintain a higher quality of life.
Improved Social Wellness
Maintaining strong social ties is essential for aging adults to feel a sense of purpose and belonging while avoiding feelings of depression and loneliness. Whether it’s through joining a walking group or a water aerobics class, adding the social factor to working out makes it so much more exciting and fun. Not only does this provide accountability and support for your loved ones to stay motivated and engaged, but exercising will also never feel like a chore again. Encouraging your loved ones to stay physically active after retirement also means encouraging a wholesome social life, leading to improved physical, emotional, and mental health.
Staying Physically Active After Retirement with TerraBella Windsor Lake
If you wish to ensure the holistic well-being of your loved ones, consider moving into a senior living community. At TerraBella Windsor Lake, your loved ones will be placed in an environment with like-minded peers, where they can explore new experiences and interactions together.
To learn more about our exclusive senior living programs, contact us today!
