How can you motivate an older adult who is out of shape to exercise and eat better?
Six myths about activity and ageing
Myth 1: “Exercising is useless. I’ll get old anyhow.”
Fact: Consistent physical activity supports you by the look and feel younger and remains self-determining more. Plus, it decreases the danger of different conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and obesity. Its mental advantages can be just as excellent at 70 or 80 as at 20 or 30.
Myth 2: “I’ll be at the risk of falling down by exercising.”
Fact: By exercising orderly, you’ll build power and endurance, and prevent reduction of bone mass and develop balance, actually decreasing the danger of falling.
Myth 3: “It’s too disappointing; I’ll never be the athlete I once was.”
Fact: Hormonal imbalance, changes in metabolism, bone density, and muscle mass mean that your power and efficiency levels unavoidably reduce with age. But that doesn’t mean you can’t earn success from physical activity anymore or develop your health. The point is to set a target for your lifestyle, which is suitable for your age. And don’t forget: an inactive style of living is more harmful than biological ageing.
Myth 4: “I’m so old to begin to work out.”
Fact: You’re not old at all to start exercising and developing your health! To make it short, seniors who start being active later in life mostly demonstrate better physical and psychological enhancement than their younger peers. If you haven’t done a workout before, or it’s been a long time, you won’t get involved with the similar sports damages that other average athletes experience in adulthood. For short, there aren’t as many miles on your clock, so you’ll quickly start reaping the rewards. Just begin with low-impact activities and start from there.
Myth 5: “I can’t exercise because I’m disabled.”
Fact: If you’re incapacitated, you noticeably face specific difficulties. Although, you can lift low weights, do chair exercises, stretch, chair yoga, and chair tai chi to enhance your range of motion, develop tension in the relaxed muscle and stretchability, increase cardiovascular health. There are a lot of offers from swimming pools for wheelchair users to access, and also, you can find adjustable exercise programs for wheelchair sports like basketball.
Myth 6: “I’m so delicate or have so many aches and pains.”
Fact: Starting to move can help you control pain and develop your power and Self-esteem. Lots of elders realize that constant activity not only prevents a reduction in strength and liveliness that comes with age but develops it. The point is to begin lightly. What if you don’t like to work out? If you are afraid of exercising, you’re not alone. But you don’t need to work out till you’re covered with sweat or all of your muscles hurt to make a massive change to your health. Think about activities that you have fun with and how you can combine them into a workout routine:
• Try to listen to music or an audiobook when you lift weights.
• Go window-shopping during your laps of walking at the mall.
• Try to be competitive when you play tennis.
• Take some photos on a nature hike.
• Get to know new people at a yoga class or fitness club.
• Watch a movie or TV show that you like while walking on the treadmill
• Chat with a friend while walking, stretching, or strength training instead of chatting over coffee
• Try to walk the golf course instead of using a cart.
• Walk or play fetch with a dog. If you are not a dog owner, suggest taking a neighbour’s dog for a walk or volunteering at a pet shelter or rescue group.
• When you feel stressed, go for a run, walk, or cycle and see how much better you feel later.
• Find a workout friend, a person whose company is delightful for you, and try activities you’ve never tried before so you might find something you love. At worst, you’ve spent time with a lovely friend.
