Have you been thinking about changing up your exercise routine? Are you looking for different ways to enjoy the pool in your senior living community or at a local fitness center? As a low-impact fitness option, water exercises for seniors can help improve heart health and muscular strength, reduce stress, and even aid in easing joint pain, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, water exercises can be a fun and enjoyable hobby to enjoy with a group of friends or the grandkids. To help, learn more about why water exercises for seniors are an ideal choice for one’s physical well-being and mental health!
Why Are Water Exercises for Seniors Beneficial?
Cardiovascular fitness and increased strength and endurance, as well as mood and sleep improvements, are just some of the benefits of water exercises for seniors, as shared by Harvard Health. Water workouts can also help lessen the risk factors associated with health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Other non-aquatic exercises may offer similar benefits. However, water exercises offer seniors the opportunity to burn more calories and work on cardio and strength simultaneously in a more gentle fashion than the comparable land-based exercises.
What Can Water Exercises for Seniors Help Improve?
Exercises like walking, leg lifts, yoga, and calf raises are exercises that can be performed in water as well as on land. For many seniors, doing these exercises in water may make them more accessible and less likely to exacerbate any existing health concerns. Prior to beginning any new fitness routine, checking in with your healthcare provider can help ensure that you are engaging in the right exercises for your health needs and doing so in a safe and supportive way. Here are some of the key areas that water workouts for seniors can help improve and exercise options to consider for each one:
Joint Mobility
Exercising in water reduces stress on joints, which may be especially helpful for those struggling with arthritis and other painful conditions. One exercise to help with mobility is water walking or jogging, which is gentle on the joints and provides the opportunity to improve cardiovascular health. As an alternative to machine-based hip and leg strengthening exercises or standing lunge work, improve strength and balance by doing leg lunges in the water instead.
For a comprehensive exercise routine for healthy joints, check out the video tutorial.
Core Strength
Core strength contributes to balance, stability, coordination, back pain reduction and more. While sit-ups or crunches on a mat may have been a go-to core strengthening option for many years, these exercises can be stressful on the neck and spine. However, as highlighted by swimwear expert Speedo, the resistance of the water and the support of the pool wall can be a better way to engage in those favorite bicycle ab moves or engage core and leg muscles simultaneously with an exercise like flutter kicks. If there is no pool nearby, check out these 8 simple core exercises for seniors.
Balance and Flexibility
For fall prevention and helping maintain the mobility needed for an independent and active lifestyle, balance and flexibility are essential. Water walking is an exercise for seniors that can improve these areas, as well as joint mobility. Pool noodle exercises can also be used to work on flexibility, and torso twists that rotate the upper body from one side to the other aid in improving core strength and balance, especially if done when water is to the shoulders.
Are you new to balance and flexibility work? This tutorial is a pool workout focused on balance and fall prevention. Are you looking to improve your balance from the comfort of your own room? Try one or more of these easy-to-learn balance exercises.
Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and thoughtful meal preparation helps reduce the risk of health problems like heart disease and osteoporosis, as emphasized by the National Institute on Aging. As shared by pool therapy manufacturer HydroWorx, exercises like walking burn more calories when they are done in water versus on land. Additionally, less stress on the joints and water resistance can result in an easier and more beneficial exercise experience. Consequently, participating in regular water exercise programs for seniors may aid in weight loss, as well as muscle strengthening. This SilverSneakers pool workout may be a fun and helpful way to support your overall fitness and weight management goals.
Mental Health
According to an overview of research done at UC Davis, even viewing bodies of water like pools or oceans yields mental health benefits. A study shared by the National Library of Medicine further explores how aquatic exercise helped reduce anxiety and depression in seniors. Furthermore, both organized water exercise classes for seniors and informal gatherings of friends for morning pool walks provide positive opportunities for social interaction, which plays a significant role in supporting mental health for seniors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Water Exercises for Seniors
Do I have to know how to swim?
As explained by MedicalNewsToday, swimming offers a myriad of health benefits to people of all ages. However, many water exercises like water walking can be done even if you don’t know how to swim.
How much equipment is needed for water exercises?
The most basic water exercises simply utilize body weight in combination with water resistance. Additional equipment like pool noodles, kickboards or water weights may be used for extra support or to target specific areas during the workout itself. Some individuals also opt for water shoes to provide additional stability during workouts.
Where can I find water exercise classes for seniors?
Some senior living communities may offer water aerobics on their wellness schedule. Local senior centers and YMCAs with pools are another option for self-directed water exercise routines or instructor-led group or private classes.
The science of senior exercises makes one thing abundantly clear: exercise plays an important role in the quality of one’s life and holistic health. In addition to participating in the wellness programs at your senior living center or enjoying any other current workout routines, consider trying water exercises for seniors to experience a myriad of mental and physical health benefits.
Are you interested in the daily exercise and activity calendar available at an award-winning assisted living facility near you? Want to learn more about how a senior living community can support your health journey? Contact the Arbors of Hop Brook team today!