Retirement may be a time to relax and enjoy yourself, but that doesn’t mean neglecting your wellbeing and health. Some light exercise is important to keep your body fit and your mind stimulated. Committing to some sort of regular physical activity will keep you healthy and give you a fulfilling endeavor to pursue during your retirement.
As an active senior living community in Ventura, CA, Ventura Townehouse understands the physical needs of seniors and recommends regular physical activities which can be both fun, challenging, relaxing and very important in keeping up with your health and physical comfort. Keep reading to find out about how best to put in some physical activity while still enjoying yourself.
Strength and endurance exercises
Doing some regular exercise to build on your strength and endurance is key to maintaining a state of physical well being. Exercises such as hiking, biking, swimming or dancing are great ways to train your endurance and keep your cardiovascular system healthy. These exercises will help keep your breathing and heart rate at strong, healthy levels, and they can be some of the most rewarding activities both while your training and as you complete your goals.
Strength exercises such as weight lifting, light calisthenics, like sit-backs, half squats, or assisted pull-ups, will benefit you in a myriad of manners. They will help prevent muscle-loss and maintain bone mass. They will help you perform everyday activities with greater ease and feel more comfortable in your body. And they even help to slow down or reverse certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
Mental exercises and stretching
People, on average, naturally have a sudden decrease in learning abilities around the ages 5, 25 and 40, which is why it is so important to stay on top of your mental well being along with your physical well being. Simple activities such as crosswords and puzzles are fantastic and enjoyable brain exercises which encourage your brain to expand your memory and recognize patterns. Creative arts such as painting and making music are also rewarding, relaxing and, for many new and exciting ways to “stretch” your brain. With these activities you use more of your brain than you do with most learning exercises, as you must problem solve with your body as well as you discover what you can achieve with the medium you are working with.
Actual stretching is very beneficial as well. Studies show that with age, flexibility can decrease by up to 50 percent. Stretching regularly will keep your body limber and allow greater ease in everyday activities. Not only that, but stretching is wonderful in promoting a sense of mental clarity and calmness throughout your day as well. Some exercises that will get you stretching and promote this calmness include yoga, or tai chi, which you can take classes for. Shoulder and upper back stretches, neck stretches, hip stretches, and ankle stretches are all some stretches you could do on your own which are especially helpful for seniors.
Closing thoughts
There are many paths you can take when exercising, both mentally and physically. Retirement shouldn’t be pure relaxation, you can use your time having fun, calming your mind, enjoying nature and always keep challenging yourself, all while exercising. It is always important to keep your body healthy and your mind stimulated, doing some of these exercises daily will improve how you feel in your body, what daily activities you are able to do, your mental clarity and you sense of calmness. Now you just have to choose which path is best for you!
Ventura Townehouse cares for the well being of all the seniors living in our community, and strives to help you understand all of your options when deciding on how you will maintain your physical well being as well as your mental. For more information about Ventura Townehouse, click here to contact us or to schedule a tour.
