3 Simple Covid-19 Fitness Tips For Seniors

Importance of Exercising During COVID For Seniors

Simple COVID-19 fitness tips for seniors can help you stay healthy and active. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our daily routines. Quarantine restrictions, health protocols, and other safety measures have been put in place everywhere in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. With children being forced to learn remotely and employees navigating the uncharted waters of trying to find a work-life balance with everything in disarray, it continues to be a time for everyone.

The fact is, seniors are more susceptible to experiencing the harshest symptoms of the virus. While being fit is not a one-stop solution to prevent you from getting COVID, physical activity will make you more alert and increase mobility. As you age, the bones in your bodies begin to weaken and you may notice a reduction in your muscle mass. This is why it’s important to keep moving in any way that you can, especially once you hit 50.

Never before in history have so many seniors been responsible for their own parents. Whether they are independent, live in a care facility, or even live with you, it can both physically and mentally taxing when you feel responsible and are constantly concerned about their own health and welfare.

When you’re stretched so thin, it can be hard to summon up the motivation to do things like exercise when your brain is still trying to process the logistics of all that has happened in such a short span of time. With so many matters to consider, staying active may actually seem to be the least of your worries. However, exercise has been proven time and again to be one of the most potent tools in combating stress, depression, and anxiety, and if you’re one of the numerous people who has felt either one over the last seven months, getting into or staying in shape could be your saving grace.

If you are wary of venturing outdoors, there are tons of exercises you can do at home. If you live near an open-air space that will provide ample room for social distancing, there’s no reason not to try it out there as well. But if you’re unsure of where to begin, here are a few suggestions on how you can stay fit despite the pandemic.

The basic steps to take to stay healthy:

• Masks, frequent hand washing, social distancing!
• Reduce your interactions with others; avoid high risk gatherings and if you do have guests or visit others, limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items

3 Simple Covid-19 Fitness Tips For Seniors

1. Maximize your time outdoors

In the era of COVID, the opportunity to set foot outside has since become a luxury. Because research has proven that open-air environments are safer than a closed room such as a gym or studio, if you’re lucky enough to live near a park, you might want to consider exercising there. Go on walks or jogs around the area, just to get your feet moving and your blood pumping. This form of light cardio is great for the heart, and will do a lot to lift your spirits, especially if you’ve been cooped up inside all day. And you’d be surprised at how much sweat even a brisk walk can produce! Some parks also serve as venues for several recreational activities like yoga, Pilates, or tai chi, and they’re usually classes for beginners than anyone can join. If you notice one ongoing, don’t be afraid to ask the leader for a schedule that you can work into your free time. The vast space will mean that everyone stays a safe distance away from each other while still getting a much-needed workout.

2. Virtual Classes & Exercise Videos

With the closure of many gyms and fitness centers, most instructors have instead migrated to the digital sphere, holding online sessions over Zoom that can be joined for a certain access fee. If you were previously a member of any studio before the pandemic hit, get in touch with the gym personnel via their website to check if they have any virtual classes available. If you have the resources to spend, you can even book a personal trainer on a schedule of your choosing to really focus on your fitness goals and answer any questions you might have. In addition, these classes are also a means to interact with other people, which is motivation in itself to keep coming back.

If you’re the type who prefers to work out alone and on your own hours, there are thousands of exercise videos to be found online that you can choose from. Whether you’re searching for a quick cardio burst, yoga for beginners, advanced Pilates, barre, or even Zumba, you can bet on finding free tutorials that range from rapid five-minute warm up sessions to full-blown one-hour workouts. These videos are a prime method to stay fit because the variety of options promise that you can experiment with each one to ensure that you won’t get bored. YouTube channels like Fitness Blender and PopSugar Fitness have hundreds of videos in their arsenal, and many of the workouts featured come with modifications that can be done to make it easier on your back or joints.

Exercise videos are also a good option for those who don’t have equipment readily available at home since there are a ton of them that require none and make use of only your body to build up a sweat. Here are some post-50 exercise tools to check out:

• Fitness Over Fifty: An Exercise Guide from the National Institute on Aging
• 6-Minute Fitness at 60+: Simple Home Exercises to Reclaim Strength, Balance, and Energy in 15 Days
• Fitness After 40: Your Strong Body at 40, 50, 60, and Beyond
• Yoga Over 50
• Stretching for 50+: A Customized Program for Increasing Flexibility, Avoiding Injury and Enjoying an Active Lifestyle

4. Make the most out of your household chores

If you run your own household and are worried that you don’t have the necessary free time to set aside for exercise, that’s not to say that doing chores aren’t calorie-burning and muscle-building activities in their own way. With a lot of people spending their quarantine days fixing up their houses and cleaning out the attic, these sorts of chores expend as much energy as a normal workout routine. If you have a personal project that needs to be finished, or if you’re a homeowner who enjoys tending to your garden, these pursuits are just the right dose of tiring to have you moving and on your feet while still burning calories. Even better, you’ll also feel a profound sense of accomplishment when you’re through.

Though the pandemic will not last forever, the grounds for you to find ways to stay fit and active will hold fast no matter what. If being inside all the time is finally giving you a reason to head off on your fitness path, don’t be afraid to jump right into it and tackle things at your own pace. As long as you’re taking care to incorporate some sort of movement in your daily life, you’ll find that you’ll feel better as the weeks go by, until we can move around freely again.