How To Encourage Seniors To Be More Physically Active
These tips will help you get more creative when it comes to encourage seniors to get involved into physical activities.
In accordance with the American Bureau of Statistics, active sports and recreation involvement declines as the age advances.
There is a significant decline in sports participation amongst those aged 65 years and above.
Nonetheless, while the younger people were more likely than the older people to have participated in any sporting activities, the seniors who did were more likely than youths to participate regularly.
Hence, once a senior person becomes part of a club, they tend to remain loyal and very active members. True, sporting can’t prevent you from the getting old.
However, body fitness among the elderly can mean the difference between a happy, healthy and strong person.
Sporting activities can slow down the effects of serious medical problems and limitations that come along with age advancement.
Not only does sporting wards off disease, but also promotes mental health and independence.
Outlined below are some of the best ways to encourage seniors to enjoy better physical health.
7 Tips To Encourage Seniors To Get More Active
Here are our top tips to help you encourage seniors to get involved in a more physical active and challenging lifestyle:
1. Encourage Them To Set Goals
During this stage of life where one’s mental and physical health is no longer where it used to be, both motivation and confidence boosters are necessary.
We all love challenges, keep encouraging the seniors to set challenging, but attainable goals.
For example, consider having a 20-minute walk a day or climbing a number of steps per week.
Provide the necessary support for your loved one to not only to meet the physical goals, but also improve and make the exercises more challenging as they get used.
2. Eliminate Barriers
Create accessible, safe, and simple settings and products. This will encourage seniors to participate more.
It’s essential for them to know that physical exercise is accessible to them.
3. Be Creative
Sporting activities for the elderly may require to be modified to make them enjoyable, but key challenges should remain an important part of the activities.
The old saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks needs to be ignored in favor of exploration and creativity.
Getting the elderly to do a new sport might not only increase their physical fitness but also improve their mental health.
The exercise trainer ought to partner with the clients and all other supportive exercise teams in order to create social-support networks.
Think of activities like Qigong that are considered helpful towards keeping joints fluid and improving control of arterial blood pressure.
Therefore, fitness professionals may be esteemed role models and stand to set the pace for their elderly clients.
4. Reach Out To Groups
Local senior centers are amazing facilities for groups that are intended to get seniors physically active through exercises.
Activities like dances, walks and water aerobics provide the seniors with entertainment and exercise altogether.
Not only do these centers offer volunteer programs and organize social activities, but they also offer exercise training as well.
Some centers have an available trained staff to teach aging adults swimming, square dance, yoga; all of which are incredible exercise activities for seniors.
5. Communicate With The Seniors
Choose your words and tone cautiously when communicating with older people. Give special attention to countering any negative ageist stereotypes.
Present a friendly, yet realistic approach to aging. Recognize the wide range of backgrounds among the seniors.
Humor is considered helpful in enabling people to get comfortable, relax and be at ease with others. However, be careful and avoid sexist and racist jokes. Many stereotypes are propagated in the name of humor.
Engage them more by using their first language even though they may be good at English.
Always pay attention to the older persons. Strive to understand their questions, concerns, and values. Ask an open-ended question rather than a closed one.
6. No Excuses
The main reasons people attribute for not taking sports are:
- lack of time and interest,
- having an illness or being disabled,
- the fact that sporting is expensive,
- dislike competitive activities,
- lack of friends to do sports with,
- lack of suitable sports infrastructure close to home.
Nonetheless, the importance of exercise surpasses any excuse given. With encouragement, perseverance, and creativity on your part, you definitely get them started.
However, don’t be surprised when your senior starts inviting you out for a walk or any other activity he or she enjoys after a while.
Urge them to watch their much loved morning show while lifting weights or running on the treadmill.
At times even join them to demonstrate to them how easy it is to exercise in the comforts of their own homes.
7. Emphasize The Fact
Address the strong link between body exercises and stable physical condition and health. When we are undertaking sports we feel much healthier, better and happier.
Don’t be afraid to lay emphasis on the importance and demonstrate all the positives of doing sport. This is very significant information for older people who often get stressed.
When the seniors are physically active they become independent in many life aspects!
Today, with more information here, it is really easy to find sports offers for seniors. There are many exercise classes specifically meant to the elderly people, and sometimes they are even offered for free.
Look around, engage your friends, search the internet and you will find the best sporting option for your senior. If not, you can always take a walk outside together and spend time not only active, but also in a family atmosphere.
