What’s Keeping Your Senior from Exercising
When your senior is working out regularly, she’ll start to find her overall health improving. But it’s not always easy to stick with an exercise plan.
She’s in Pain
Pain is a very real reason not to exercise, especially if your elderly family member has old injuries that she’s trying not to aggravate. But pain alone is not a reason for her to avoid exercise, especially if her doctor recommends exercise as a way to help deal with the pain. Underuse can cause pain to be worse. The key is for your senior to exercise in a way that is healthy and safe for her condition.
She Doesn’t Like Working out Alone
Working out alone is really boring for some people. In fact, it can be so dull that not having an exercise partner can become a reason to avoid working out. If that’s the case for your senior, you may need to find some other options. One idea might be for her to join a gym or take classes at a senior center. Senior care providers can also provide companionship while she exercises.
Her Meals Aren’t So Healthy
Food is fuel and that’s especially true for your aging family member. If she’s not eating the right foods for her, she may genuinely not have the energy she needs to stick with her exercise routine. Taking a peek at what types of foods and meals she’s eating can help you to get her back on target.
She’s Exercising Too Late in the Day
Working out too late in the day can interfere with your senior’s sleep schedule, which can in turn make her late for everything else the next day. If she’s running into this problem often, she might want to reprioritize what she’s doing. Also, sticking with a shorter exercise routine if she’s going to be exercising late can still help her get some sleep and start fresh the next day.
Exercise Is not Appealing at All
Your senior might just not enjoy exercising, either in general or for now. When it’s not an appealing activity for her, she might need to find some ways to shake things up. Instead of a full workout, maybe she dances to a few favorite tunes in her living room. That gets her up and moving, even if it’s not the exercise routine she’s mapped out in the past.
Your senior’s doctor is the best source of information about how much exercise she needs and can handle. Having definitive information will make it easier for her to overcome obstacles that are standing in her way.
