Seniors And Water Exercises
Water exercise is one of the easiest and most enjoyable things you can do for yourself. While it releases feel good endorphins, it is easier to move the entire body. This dual purpose form of exercise is from a full range of motion. This range is sometimes more than doubled or tripled, which in turn, can make the routine more intense.
Exercises In A Pool
Exercising in water can become quite addictive once you start. It is easier and the resistance in water is less painful. Because you can move farther and faster; greater results can be attained, making it highly habit forming.
Some of the benefits are:
- Relieves stress
- Increases flexibility
- Mood enhancer
- Excretes toxins from the body
- Increases bone density
- Stops or reverses degeneration
- Gives you greater mobility
- Makes sleep better, deeper, longer
- Serves as deep healing source
- Pain free source of exercising
- Regeneration of joints with therapy
- Increases resistance
- Improves balance and coordination
- Great source of socialization
Types of Exercise in Water
There is a wide range of fitness equipment available for different wants, needs, and desires. Many join pool groups for senior aerobics. While exercising with this type of group, movement can range from frisbee, volleyball, basketball, or water polo, and other pool games; to full blown sailing and row boating. There's something for every interest.
Other ideas can be individual as well as group, using small water vessels like floatation belts, wrist and ankle weights, aqua cuffs, resistance tubes, various balls, and other small devices. Weights feel lighter and there is more resistance and buoyancy in water. These small pieces of equipment are powerful when used in water. Everyone can benefits, but for seniors it's the perfect solution due to loss of muscle tone and strength as we age.
On a larger scale, many are investing in, or investing time in, using larger more sophisticated forms of exercises in water. Great detail and attention has been given to Aquarobics, aerobic steppers, pool treadmills, swim in place against current pools, jog belts, rowing machines, Hydrotherapy, and different equipment to accomplish perfect aquatic exercise; many of which are used as rehabilitation and recuperation therapies for accidents and injuries.
Many water activities for seniors has been forced upon them as therapy for injury sport accidents; automobile accidents, slip and fall accidents; surgery on knees, backs and hips; or deteriorating health issues like arthritis and paralysis. Water exercises gives the therapist a means to make you feel whole again, to help you heal, and to make your life better, and to ease your pain and suffering.
Always Check With Your Doctor
Even though water creates pain free motion for seniors; great caution must be taken because it IS so easy and so pain free. Precaution is still necessary not to over do it. You still should check with your physician before you begin ANY exercise program; and even then, great respect should be given with your warm up and cool down routines. They are a must for any routine.
Caution: Active Or Sedentary
Whether you are the most active person in your community; or if you are completely sedentary from the loss of a loved one, or from an illness or accident; just start moving. Even the warm up and cool down part of any program is exercise you wouldn't get otherwise.
So be good to yourselves, let it become habit and addictive. Let it make you feel better so you can become part of seniors live it up society. There's no calculator, no measuring device, no race to the finish. It's just putting one foot in front of the other and knowing you will make a difference in your quality of life with every movement you make. Like Nike, just do it!
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Water Exercises
Here are some other options for you to look at:
Low Impact Exercises For Seniors
Benefits of Walking for Seniors
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Seniors Live It Up