Energizing Exercises to Recharge Senior’s Body and Mind

Our body needs to get exercise every day. No matter how old we are, we should have some routine programs for doing sports. However, which exercises can wake up your body and brain? Especially as seniors, we need to exercise more because we have a particular situation and keep our brains and bodies active. Exercises besides nutrition have an important impact on our health. In this article, we will inspect what exercises wake you up. But before starting our discussion, we should check why body activity is necessary for our body.

Why Do We Need Exercise?

Exercise can help us maintain a healthy weight, reduce our risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, improve our cardiovascular health, and strengthen our bones and muscles. Besides, it can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and improve our mood and overall well-being. Our body’s structure is designed in a particular way; our body conditions will change when we get older. Then we pay more attention to some activities that are helpful for our body and mind. Also, seniors who have a routine sports activity always have a healthier and calmer life. On the other hand, we protect our body and brain from diseases and mental issues when we exercise. Don’t forget you need to check with your doctor, because some sports maybe be dangerous for your situation and, among all the exercises and sports, exercises seniors should avoid.

Exercises to Wake up Your Body

If you got some exercises at a young age, you could do many sports activities easier than others. Still, if you don’t have any special body activities in recent years, it could be more challenging for you. But you don’t need to be worry, because we have some sports that design for seniors and you can do them easily. Otherwise, it would help if you asked your doctor about these sports activities and then started your practices. Also, if you do it with your friends or partner, it will be more effective. Then you can choose suitable sports and exercises for seniors from this list.

1- Aerobics

Nowadays, we have two types of aerobics: water aerobics and chair fit, low impact, and dance. Generally, aerobics is a fun and active exercise that shapes your body and makes you happy. Aerobics is one of the best exercises for seniors. You can also find many same-age friends and increase your social partnership. As a senior, aerobics has many benefits; for example, it increases our body activity, reduces blood pressure, and helps us become more fit. Although sports activities don’t need a particular time, some experts suggest workout time for seniors.

Exercises to wake up your body

Water Aerobics:

Surely you heard that water is a helpful remedy for each pain, such as bone pains or muscle gripping. And if you fan of swimming in the past, you can also enjoy water aerobics. Water aerobics makes you happy, reduces your stress and makes less your arthritis pain. You can find the classes nearby your home and join the groups. They always run their programs with exciting music. Some famous water aerobics are included walking in water, flutter kicking, leg lifts, standing water push-ups and arm curls.

Chair Aerobics

Chair aerobics or chair fit is a kind of yoga. Like yoga in this sports activity, you do low-intensity exercises that increase your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Also, you can do chair aerobics without worrying if you have some problems with your vertebras because of the low pressure on your body. Although you sit in a chair and do some exercises, it’s helpful for your body. Some chair aerobics for seniors include stretching the muscles, seated cow or cat stretch, and seated mountain pose.

Low Impact

Low impact is a kind of warm-up sports activity. You can do it at home or in the park with your friends and partners. Due to lower pressure on your joints and muscles, it’s a good exercise if you feel some pains in your body. Additionally, low impact is a good choice for you if you begin exercising because it makes you fit and ready for other sports activities.

Dancing

Dance is not just a hobby, but also is a good sports activity for everyone, especially seniors. Generally, dance is an excellent way to burn your extra fats and increase your heart stability. Also, it has a positive impact on your morale. Dance is the best exercise for seniors; you can also find good friends and have fun with them. Besides, you can stay at home with your partner or family, turn on the TV, select some sport or music channels and start dancing. It’s a fantastic activity and makes you so much energetic.

2- Band Workout

Band workout is a kind of exercise performed with bands or elastic rubber. In this way, you stretch them with your hands and at the same time do body activities. This body activity is a harmless and safe sports activity for seniors. You can also find suit material at home and start a workout with your family or friends. If you want to improve your posture, mobility, and balance, a Band workout is a good choice. Band workouts also can impact your leg, triceps, lateral muscles, and bicep muscles. An important fact is you get to feel better through exercises for seniors, which improves your life.

Exercises to wake up your body

3- Pilates

In recent years Pilates has become one of the most popular low-impact sports globally. Particularly this is a good exercise for seniors. Because we can increase our body strength and concentration, also in Pilates you should practice breathing. Breathing is an essential factor in draining the lungs from dioxide Carbone and having a better feeling. So abdominal breath practicing during some activities like Pilates can be useful for you.

In Pilates, you need one mat and a ball. When you sit on the ball, you should do body activities like stretching and keeping your balance. Then it’s a good sport for seniors because we can improve our balance and flexibility. In Pilates, you can focus on mermaid movement, side circles, food slides, step-ups, and leg circles. As you see, Pilates is one of the best exercises for seniors and also a low-risk exercise for us.

Exercises to wake up your body

4- Walking

Walking is an easier and cheaper sports activity for everyone and is the best exercise for seniors and all of us. You need walking shoes, beautiful streets or sights, partners or friends, and music! By the way, as a senior, we should pay attention to our body situation and count our distance and steps. If we have pain in our feet or joints, we should choose shorter roots without uphill roads. In general, if you don’t have any medical issues, you can walk in 10.000 steps every day. It can be an excellent way to have a healthier lifestyle and humorous life. Walking helps you build stronger muscles reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer. And don’t forget to drink water during walking.

Read more: Walking And Its Effect On The Health Of The Elderly

5- Bodyweight Workouts

Seniors should pay more attention to their muscles because we need to keep our body strength and stability. Then we need some exercises to rebuild our muscles again. The bodyweight workout is one of the best exercises for improving body strength and muscle power. Like walking bodyweight workout doesn’t need any special tools. It would help if you had a pair of walking shoes, a mat, and proper clothes. Remember that our body needs to restore energy after bodyweight exercises, so what to eat after a workout session is essential.

These are some great bodyweight exercises for seniors:

  • Squats to chair
  • Step-up
  • Bird dog
  • Lying hip bridges
  • Side-lying circles
Exercises to wake up your body

7- Dumbbell Training

Dumbbell training is not only for Youngers. Seniors also can use light dumbbells for strength training. It can be a good exercise for reducing the pains in the back and vertebras avoid diabetes and other physical issues. Also, dumbbell training helps you to have a healthier mind. Also, the dumbbell is a good tool for muscle building in seniors. Then seniors can join groups or buy dumbbells and get exercises at home. Of course, doing exercises with others is more effective. Like always, don’t forget to drink water during the training.

As you see, these are the best exercise for seniors that can be done at home or in group classes. However, as well as our body needs sports activity, our brain needs some exercise too. So in the second part of this article, we will introduce brain wake-up exercises.

Exercises to wake up your body

The Best Brain Warm-up Exercises

Imagine that you wake up in the morning, and your mind gets to hang up! You don’t know what you should do, even though you don’t have enough concentration to have your work. So what should we do to solve these problems? The solution is too easy; in fact, we need to wake our brains up in the mornings. You know that having a healthy mind keeps you more motivated and helps you have a high-quality life.

1- Looking for Nouns from Each Letter

When we were children, our teacher taught us alphabets by making meaningful names in school. For example, when you saw “A,” you immediately built the noun “Aladdin.” So today, researchers prove that making nouns is a good way for activating our brain.

Both sides of the brain in this practice will work. For example, you are looking for a letter in the alphabet, and then the left side of your brain helps you think about the word. You can also imagine the name or character in your mind. Then this is a good practice to have more focus and reduce the risk of forgetting things. You can also play this game with your grandchild because you should know how to maintain mental health during the retirement period.

Exercises to wake up your body

2- Listen to the Music

In recent years many researchers prove the role of music in the health of seniors, mainly classical music, has a positive effect on our minds. Also, classical music is a good remedy for depression and dementia. Scientists call this the Mozart Effect. Classical music makes a relaxing feel for us because of the type and drains our cells’ stress. As a senior, if you feel pressure and uncomfortable in your life, we suggest listening to classical music. Classical music is helpful as brain warm-up exercises, so you can play your favorite classical music and start breakfast.

Exercises to wake up your body

4- Yoga

In the first part of the article, we talk about yoga. Yoga is good for our physical strength and is so perfect for our mind. Fundamentally when you do yoga, focus on your body and your mind simultaneously. Exercise and meditation together have many benefits for you; for example, yoga helps seniors lose weight. Also, while doing yoga, you always work on your breathing. Because breathing is an essential part of each activity, yoga can help you release stress and spiritual pressures; furthermore, yoga is a brain warm-up exercise. So don’t waste time and try yoga.

Exercises to wake up your body

5- Writing

Psychotherapists name this activity brain dumping. In this activity, you try to write everything that passes through your mind. Then it’s cheap and easy brain activity, and you need some paper and a pen. And then, you can focus on your memories or thoughts and write them on paper. When you feel more stressed in your life, writing can help you forget the situation and focus on your writing. Then if you have never tried it before, you can start it after reading this article.

6- Brain Games

If you are looking for some brain warm-up exercises, brain games are magician tools for you. Sudoku, crosswords, puzzles, card games, and backgammon are fun brain games. You can play them alone or with your partner and friends. Our brains, during these activities, work hard to find the solutions, so we don’t have enough time to think about the negatives. Remember that our mind needs rest to handle duties correctly during the day, so brain games are an excellent choice to free your mind from unnecessary things. You can also find top Games for seniors to Entertain Themselves on our website.

Exercises to wake up your body

7- Learn a New Language

Learning always is a good brain warm-up exercise for our mind. Particularly learning a new language is a useful tip to activate both sides of the brain. No matter how much you will use this new language, your brain tries to make new sentences and then store them in your mind when you learn a new language. Then this is an excellent activity to protect yourself from Alzheimer’s or remember things. Thanks to the internet, you don’t need to participate in physical classes because you can get educational materials from the internet and start learning. However, if you can go to the classes, it’s much better because you will keep communicating with others.

Final Words

This article teaches about the best exercises for seniors and brain wake-up exercises. Also, you can add some new ideas to this list. In fact, in this article, we spark the way for you to leave laziness and try to have a humorous life even with some physical issues. So today will be good for starting a new lifestyle.

Source seniorlifestyle sitepoint self
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Martin
Martin
2 years ago

WOW! chair aerobics is perfect! one year ago, I had surgery on my back, as a sports addict, I always used to walking or cycling with my wife. Unfortunately, I didn’t have permission to do high-pressure exercises like cycling until my muscles were normal after that surgery. I was too upset since one of my friends introduced me to do chair aerobics! After starting chair aerobics, I feel happy because I can improve my muscle power without putting extra pressure on my back. I recommend this exercise to people like me. 

Angela
Angela
2 years ago

Bike riding is the best exercise that can actually help people of all ages, especially outdoor bike riding. Besides so many health benefits, it improves concentration and thinking skills. Because as you work out, you have to pay attention to the road and choose the best path. Brain games are also excellent to spend time indoor and get something done!

Brenda
Brenda
2 years ago

The problem is that I know these exercises can help me feel awake and alert. But I am so sleepy in the morning that I can’t even think about doing them. I guess the first step is to bring myself to accept the concept of exercising early in the morning.

Zachary
Zachary
Reply to  Brenda
2 years ago

I have the same problem. I consume sleeping pills due to insomnia, and it’s so hard for me to wake up, let alone exercise. I can not even imagine.

Bravo
Bravo
2 years ago

My grandpa takes his yoga sessions very seriously because he thinks it helps him wake up more than his morning coffee. This exercise is also great for physical readiness and can energize him throughout the day.

tracey
tracey
Reply to  Bravo
2 years ago

Yoga is incredible for everyone. It’s excellent for both physical and mental health. You’re never too old to start doing yoga. For seniors looking for a safe, effective way to enhance their physical fitness and overall wellness, yoga’s stretching, breathing, and meditation practices can be a great solution. Doing yoga can benefit older adults, from greater flexibility and improved balance to lower stress and better sleep. There are different types of yoga, and everyone must figure out which one is great for them. Also, always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Liam
Liam
2 years ago

So, I am sixty-four. Thanks to eight years of disciplined Weightlifting, eating healthy, sleeping enough, and staying with the program, I am in proper shape. 
In my opinion, Pilates is not exciting enough and becomes dull (in the long-term) compared to, for example, Weightlifting. However, this might not be the case for all.
Don’t get me wrong, Pilates is excellent but as an add-on to Strength Training.
When it comes to optimizing all fitness attributes, strength training is the gold standard of waking up your body and brain. 
For folks my age, a proper strength training prescription has no equal.

Lona
Lona
2 years ago

Every morning, I dance from my bed to the kitchen, just like movie stars. I set a catchy song as my alarm. It feels good. Dance more people!

Natalie
Natalie
2 years ago

I guess it works differently for different people, but for me, aerobics and Zumba are really energizing, waking up my mind and body to think and act better. Some years ago, I would feel crippled with various personal problems, but the aerobic class helped me a great deal to get over it. The combination of happy music with physical activities helps you focus on your own body and that moment.