Seniors: How to Stay Active at Home During the Coronavirus

With so many people around the world staying at home to protect themselves from the coronavirus. It is become apparent for many that their physical conditioning is not what it use to be. All the little physical activities associated with work from walking to picking up items and the like are no longer present. This is why understanding how to stay active at home during the coronavirus is so important.

While we don’t know for sure how long our lifestyles will be affected in this way, we do know periods of reduced physical activity can affect our health.

Seniors, especially those with chronic conditions, are particularly at risk.

Consequences of Inactivity

It may not be apparent at first, but the less you move about, the more likely it is that your cardiovascular system will suffer as a result. Proper cardiorespiratory fitness which means working the heart and lungs as you move about helps keep your muscles in shape. Once you move past your mid-20s, cardiorespiratory fitness starts to decline without adequate exercise.

The older you get, the more the inactivity may affect your physical condition. This means when you go back to work or any of your daily activities outside, you’ll find it harder to adjust. While most people will manage to get back into shape, the chances of injury will increase during this time.

Get Healthy

Although even a few weeks of inactivity can noticeably affect your fitness, it can be improved considerably by employing a proper exercise program. You do not need any equipment or special clothing, just something loose and comfortable. What follows are some simple tips to help keep you active.

30 Minutes: Set aside about 30 minutes each day for exercise. You can do this all at once or separate it into three 10-minute sessions if you like. You can walk in place, practice yoga, engage in aerobics, employ resistance exercises, or whatever you need to stay in shape.

Create an Exercise Schedule: In other words, set aside the time you need to exercise at the same point every day. You’ll want to make it a routine, so after you wake up, before lunch, or before you eat dinner are excellent times to schedule exercise.

Get Up: Sitting or laying down for several hours a day can be quite debilitating. Try getting up every 30 minutes and walking around. It will help you feel better and get the blood circulating.

Warm up: Start with five minutes of gentle warm up such as a leisurely walk around the back garden or walking up and down the hallway or stairs.

Mix Up You Exercises: The reason most people quit exercising is that it becomes boring really fast. So, while you should be exercising at about the same time each day, try mixing things up so you are not doing the same thing every day:

• Walking and resistance exercises,
• A set of several different exercises: step-ups, hamstring curl, wall push-ups, seated leg extension, bicep curls or calf raises.

Whatever works for your current situation, find four or five different methods, and employ them so you do not get bored with your exercise. You can work on your upper body one day and legs the next. Whatever works for you, but keep it from being boring.

If you have a heart condition: it’s important to warm up and cool down properly and take adequate rests (about 45 seconds) after you complete the total repetitions for each exercise.

For people with cancer: consider your current health status before you start exercising, as cancers and associated treatments may affect your ability to perform some activities.

If you have diabetes: check your blood sugar levels before, during and after you exercise, and avoid injecting insulin into exercising limbs.

By learning how to stay active at home during the coronavirus, you will not only be healthier. You will also be better prepared when you go back to work or any of your daily activities outside. By doing a little more each day to stay in shape, you are helping yourself for today and tomorrow.

Contact PSC Community Services for more information. Please reach out to us directly at 718-389-7060 or info@psccs.org