Fitness & exercise for older adults

The benefits of fitness and exercise for older adults 

There are many ways an older adult can engage in regular exercise to maintain their current state of health and improve their wellbeing. Here, we will cover the benefits of exercise for older adults, the positive effects this can have on your life, the types of exercise you could engage in safely, tips for starting and maintaining an exercise routine, the safety considerations you should take into account, and how to support an older loved one on their fitness journey if you are a family caregiver. At Home Instead, our aim is to help people age positively and in place by bringing expert care to their home. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing the highest standard of care, and creating industry-leading training programmes for our Care Professionals that are accredited by nursing and medical professionals. Today, we are the world’s largest global domiciliary care network, supporting over 100,000 older adults with personalised, tailored care at home. So whatever questions you have about fitness, we can help. 

Mental health benefits

• Improved mental health – Regular exercise is thought to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and in fact, the Mental Health Foundation estimates a potential 20-30% reduction in risk of depression through regular exercise. You can read more about mental health in older adults in our guide to supporting mental health in older adults

Improved cognitive function – Exercise is thought to boost memory and thinking skills across all age groups, but this could be especially helpful for older adults.

What types of exercise are recommended for older adults? 

One of the barriers to fitness activities for older adults tends to be a worry that certain types of exercise may be too vigorous or could cause them an injury, so choosing the right type of exercise for your age and abilities is crucial to avoid unnecessary injuries and ensure you can maintain a regular, long-term fitness routine. Some exercise activities that could be helpful for older adults include:

Low-impact aerobic exercises

These are known to be extremely beneficial for older adults, and can be adapted easily to fit with your personal abilities so you can push yourself on days when you are feeling good, and reduce the intensity if you have any health conditions. Examples of these low-impact exercises could be things like:

• Walking – This is an easy activity that enables you to adjust your step count depending on how you feel each day. 
• Swimming – This is a great activity that is easy on the joints, so could be beneficial for those with arthritis. 
• Cycling – This activity can promote cardiovascular health, and can be made easier or more intense depending on how you feel. 
• Love to Move – Age and dementia friendly seated gymnastics that can be done in group sessions or in the comfort of your own home.

Strength training

Resistance training is so important for older adults as it promotes strength and protects muscle mass and bone density, which are vital for mobility as you age. This can be helpful for both women and men, and can be adapted depending on your abilities. If you are unfamiliar with lifting weights, you can start with light weights in the gym and slowly increase your weight as your strength and confidence increases. Resistance bands can also offer a great way to train muscles in a similar way but without heavy weights if you are worried about dropping them or causing an injury. Strength training is incredibly beneficial for older adults, but if you are unfamiliar with this practice, we would recommend reaching out to a personal trainer who specialises in fitness for older adults so you can ensure you are performing exercises correctly to reduce your chance of injury. 

Flexibility and balance exercises

Another way to reduce your chance of falls and to recover from them faster is to train for flexibility and balance. There are a number of gentle exercises that can help with this, such as:

• Yoga – Studies find yoga can be beneficial for older adults, and that almost all yoga poses can be modified to fit the abilities of the individual.
• Tai chi – This slow, gentle and mindful exercise can be beneficial for older adults as it has been found to provide significant improvements in balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition, mobility, sleep, strength and more. 
• Daily stretching routines – For those who do not feel ready to take on a specific activity (such as those recovering from a surgery or illness), daily stretching routines could provide benefits, and can be done either in a seated or standing position. 

Recreational activities

Engaging in active hobbies and sports can provide many fitness benefits, and can be great for people who find other fitness activities too restrictive or repetitive. Things like gardening, dancing, or playing sports like lawn bowls or golf can help to keep older adults active while also providing fun, entertainment and opportunities to socialise and meet new people. 

How can someone start and maintain an exercise routine later in life?

One of the biggest barriers to exercise is maintaining a routine, as it is so easy to stop taking part in something that begins to feel too strenuous, challenging or repetitive. Also, when routines or weather changes, exercise routines can be difficult to maintain. For this reason, considering what kind of exercise routine will work best for you can be the best way to stick to one. For example, if you tend to spend most of your time in the house, stick to activities you can do there such as chair-based yoga, gardening or tai chi. If you enjoy more social group activities, try to look for classes nearby offering the type of exercise you need, such as group weight lifting classes or a lawn bowls club you could join. If you can choose a combination of a few activities, such as some strength training in your week, some stretches and some aerobic exercises, this is best for creating balance in your fitness regime. Starting something new can be exciting, and while it is helpful to set goals for your health and fitness, ensure these are realistic to make them more achievable in the long-term. Little and often is a great goal with fitness in older age as this can ensure you get plenty of exercise but do not tire yourself out and fall out of your routine as a result. Also, try to boost your motivation by involving friends or family, tracking your progress, and creating variation in your workouts if you do not like repetitive exercises. 

What health conditions must be considered when exercising later in life? 

As we age, we tend to develop more health conditions which can make exercising more difficult, but there are always ways to bring fitness into your daily routine in a safe way. It is more important for older adults to listen to their body, recognise the signs of overexertion and potential injury, and take more rest breaks to recover. Most exercises can be adapted in some way to accommodate different health conditions or abilities, so visiting your doctor before you begin any exercise routine can help you to avoid injury. They can also recommend specific activities to help with your health needs, modify exercises to protect certain areas of the body, or they can advise on any classes you are looking to start to let you know what might be suitable or unsuitable for you.If you have any chronic health conditions such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes, you may require a tailored exercise plan that targets the areas you need to work on, and minimises stress on affected areas. For example, if you have a cardiovascular condition, your doctor may advise you to avoid strenuous activities that put additional pressure on your heart, such as cardio-based exercises. If you struggle with arthritis pain, they may recommend low-impact exercises that support your joint health without causing more discomfort and pain to the joints. Or if you have balance issues, they may encourage you to incorporate certain balance exercises to reduce your fall risk.Some additional tips for starting an exercise routine include:

• Make sure you have the appropriate footwear and equipment for the activity you are undertaking, so you can avoid injuries
• Don’t forget to warm up before and cool down after exercising to prevent muscle injuries 
• Eat sufficient food before you exercise
• Drink lots of water throughout to stay hydrated 
• If you have any worries about injuries when exercising, try doing these activities only when a loved one visits or when your home caregiver is present so you have someone to ensure safety at all times 

How can I support an older loved one in their exercise journey? 

Fitness is not always associated with older adults due to an increase in health concerns, but a regular exercise routine can keep health conditions at bay, help with energy and stamina, reduce the chance of falls and other injuries, and can improve overall quality of life. If you are caring for an older loved one at home, encouraging them to exercise is a great way to improve their overall health. This can seem like a much bigger endeavour for an older person, so give them plenty of motivation, support and patience, and reassure them that you will be around to ensure safety. You can do this by: 

• Taking part in exercise activities alongside them for accountability and to make them more enjoyable 
• Transporting them to any group classes they would like to try 
• Joining them at a local fitness class for the first few sessions until they feel comfortable going by themselves 
• Finding online workout videos they can do at home, and starting these for them if they struggle to use technology 
• Finding them a consultation with a personal trainer who specialises in fitness for older adults 
• Helping them to set goals for their progress and checking in regularly for accountability 
• Helping them find ways to adapt their favourite exercises to their abilities 
• Providing gentle reminders and positive reinforcement throughout their journey 

If you are unable to visit your loved one on a regular basis, and do not want them to stop exercising between your visits due to lack of motivation or worries about their safety, a home carer could provide the support, advice and encouragement they need to continue their routine between your visits. At Home Instead, our companionship service is perfect for any older adults who would like someone else to be around during their exercise routine for safety and motivation, and recommend adapted exercises or activities that could help. Your local Home Instead office may also run a Love to Move session to help with exercise.If you feel you or a loved one could benefit from support from a home care professional to start or maintain a fitness routine – and would feel safer knowing someone was there to help if needed – you can get in touch with your local Home Instead office to learn more.Our Care Professionals are the best of the best, and highly trained to deliver the services you need. No matter what type of home care you are looking for, we can provide a tailored service that suits you or your loved one.We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest-quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.