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Low-Impact Exercises to Help Keep Active

In his latest feature for the Sporting Memories website, American writer Jack Shaw provides guidance on how low-impact exercises can help older people to stay active and healthy.

By Jack Shaw

It’s normal for people to experience mobility challenges as they age. It’s how the body should be. While you can’t reverse or stop time, you can counter some of the effects of advancing years through physical activities. Doctors often recommend exercise as a natural antidote for many ailments, and many studies have proved moving can help improve some symptoms. There’s a benefit even if you do gentle, low-impact fitness.

Low-Impact Aerobics to Maintain a Healthy Weight

For adults 65 and older, the NHS suggests doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity workout every week or 75 minutes if you can do a vigorous version. Exercise counters weight gain and obesity, which are known risk factors for heart disease and stroke. When choosing a physical activity, most older people default to the easier cardio. Low-intensity aerobic routines are soft on the joints, less strenuous and more accessible. Walking, swimming and dancing are some examples that won’t sore your muscles but can help keep your weight in check.

Walking is a favourite for many good reasons — it’s easy, free and enjoyable. You won’t require any equipment or specialised training. A few minutes of slow walking in the morning has several health merits. The flood of happy hormones in your system reduces stress and improves mood. Additionally, it can minimise your risk of dementia and strengthen your bones, preventing osteoporosis.

Another low-impact cardio is swimming. This exercise engages almost all parts of the muscular system, rewarding you with a full-body workout every time you get in the pool. Since the water floats 90% of the body mass through buoyancy, you’ll only have to support 10% of your weight, making it a suitable activity for older adults with arthritis or osteoporosis. Swimming can burn over 200 calories in only half an hour. It’s an excellent method to stay active and trim excess pounds.

Dancing is another heart-pumping workout. As a social activity, it can improve mental health and life satisfaction in people over 85, based on research. Regular dance classes boost mobility and overall health, decreasing the risk factors for mortality and non-infectious diseases. If you love dancing, you can sign up for a class and make it a part of your active lifestyle.

Other examples of low-intensity aerobics you incorporate into your fitness routine are hiking, chair exercises and rowing. 

Low-Impact Strength Training to Prevent Falls and Injuries

Ageing results in physical weakness, increasing the risk of injuries and falls. About 33% of people aged 65 and older fall at least once a year. That’s why health experts recommend that retirees do strength exercises, some of which can be achieved through the inclusive activities offered at Sporting Memories sessions. 

Fortunately, some mild resistance routines combine resistance, balance and flexibility into one fluid activity, such as yoga, pilates and resistance band training. These routines help mature people develop their strength to accomplish daily tasks with ease.

Yoga is best known as a mindfulness practice, but some poses in the power and vinyasa flows offer strength, flexibility and balance benefits. Like swimming, yoga is a full-body activity. You’ll engage every muscle from head to heels. One notable advantage of this mindfulness activity is it helps suppress inflammation associated with various diseases. Moreover, it helps regulate stress and boost the immune system, making it a potentially effective therapy for inflammation-induced illnesses. 

Pilates is another low-intensity strength training geriatric people can safely engage in. It’s similar to yoga but with a faster pace. Pilates strengthens the bones and muscles and promotes balance. It’s adaptable to older people with osteoporosis. 

Resistance bands, such as the ones provided in the Sporting Memories KITbag, are an excellent tool for increasing muscle mass and strength for people with sarcopenia, a disorder causing progressive muscle mass loss. Resistance training using elastic bands, free weights and machines is the first-line treatment for this musculoskeletal condition. 

To reap the benefits, clinicians recommend two full-body exercise sessions at high intensity per week, however you must build up to this through the steady inclusion of exercise into your lifestyle and routine. Beginners can always start at level one, building endurance until they can upgrade the difficulty.

Combine Physical Activities With Good Nutrition

Finally, an important reminder that all physical activities, including low-impact, work if you pair them with the proper nutritional habits. Since what you eat nourishes the bones and muscles and gives the body fuel to move, a wholesome meal is crucial for health sustenance. Consume foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. They will not only make you feel good but also enhance your performance.

As an accomplished writer and Fitness editor at Modded, Jack Shaw has established his reputation as a respected authority on sports and their effect on physical health. His work can also be found in publications such as SportsEdTV, Better Triathlete and Seniors Lifestyle Magazine.