Wouldn’t it be great if we could wake up every day and be ready to jump out of bed with order, motivation and strength? We can! but for most of us humans, it’s just not always possible. Some days, you feel like you can’t do much. That’s why it’s so important to have a plan and commit to it instead of relying on impulse. In this article from humanhealthmag, we want to talk about fun exercises for seniors. Like golf swing exercises for seniors, these sports exercises will also be very effective for increasing your mood and vitality, in addition to helping your physical health.
Why Fun Exercises for Seniors
A large amount of energy and happy feelings after fun exercises for seniors is not accidental. Exercise produces hormones and neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins) that improve mood, memory, energy levels, and overall feelings of well-being. In addition, it sends signals to your brain to feel successful and increases your confidence to perform tasks and achieve goals. Any exercise can help improve your mood. However, there are certain exercises that can be much more effective in breaking an individual slump.
11 Best Fun Exercises for Seniors
There is nothing more heartwarming than when we wake up and want to organize our daily tasks, accompanied by the sound of nature, birds, a beautiful sunrise or listening to a soft music. All these happy life events can directly and indirectly have positive effects on your mood and thoughts. Having a calm mind, especially at the beginning of the day, will help you to be more energetic in your daily activities. In this section, we mention 11 great fun exercises for seniors that will boost your mood in less than 30 minutes.
- Weight Lifting
Feeling confused and unable to concentrate? Weight training has been proven to combat cognitive impairment and even boost the growth of new nerve cells. Pick up a set of weights and try a circuit workout that combines strength and cardio for an extra endorphin boost.
- yoga
If everything is out of your control and you are mentally conflicted, it is time to devote some time to yoga. According to recent studies, yoga helps you reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, making it one of the best feel-good exercises. Also, the deep breathing we do in yoga increases oxygen in the body and provides the nutrients the brain needs for metabolism. If you are a beginner in yoga, daily 30-minute yoga sessions are the best practice to start with. These exercises use more holding and balancing positions to challenge you mentally and physically.
- Interval Training Exercises
Do you feel like there is a heavy cloud over your head? Get out of this slump and heaviness with a quick interval workout. Getting your heart rate up is like pressing a button, releasing endorphins in your body and giving you all the good feelings. A study found that regular interval training has a positive effect on cognitive performance. Pushing yourself as far as your body can handle gives you a sense of accomplishment, which makes you stick to your workouts.
- Dance
Feel free again like a little kid. Without any responsibility. Yes, that’s right, let’s dance! Dancing has been proven not only to increase endorphins through aerobic exercise, but also to reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. When you allow your body to feel the music and express that feeling through dance, it helps you to be completely yourself, without the opinions and judgments of others. You can do this privately in the living room or even the bedroom if you want. Go dance like no one’s watching. (because no one really watches)!
- Pilates
When you have a good night’s sleep, you feel like you can overcome anything that happens to you throughout the day. If you don’t sleep well, even small things can seem a lot harder to do. To have more good nights, try adding Pilates to your workout routine. This is one of the good exercises that should not be neglected considering its many benefits.
- Zumba
One of the special benefits of Zumba is that it is fun. You will find few sports that are as fun and joyful as Zumba. Along with its rhythmic movements, Zumba music is one of the main reasons why this sport is so fun. The interesting thing is that this exercise can help improve your mood and have good feelings. Zumba is one of the few sports where you are happy and energetic at the end of the training sessions. With the help of this exercise, you can fight stress and remove it from your existence.
- Aerobics
Aerobics is one of the fun exercises for seniors, which, in addition to bringing your body closer to fitness, is also very useful for polishing your spirit and mind. If you are an outgoing and energetic person, definitely go for this sport. Aerobic exercises such as Pilates and Zumba are usually accompanied by music. A scientific study in 2016 about this sport showed that some of its rhythmic exercises by athletes will increase concentration and increase the hormone serotonin in the body.
Serotonin hormone is one of the most important brain hormones that will cause a sense of pleasure, improve mood and increase morale. If you’re in your 40s and feel like you need some variety in your life, don’t delay and join aerobics classes or work out at home using an online trainer to help reduce anxiety and boost your mood in your life.
- Walking
If you are an introvert who prefers solitude, go for a walk to feel more relaxed. Walking is one of the simple yet accessible and extraordinary sports that has many benefits for the body. Among the benefits of walking will be increasing the mood and sense of freshness in life. If you are interested in walking, we suggest you to do it outdoors or in nature.
Even if possible, make an appointment with your friends on the weekend or official holiday and enjoy the feeling of being together and the pleasant atmosphere of nature by walking. When you walk in nature and in a relaxing area, changes occur in your brain from a scientific point of view, which is the main source of the feeling of pleasure and freshness in the body. While walking, your brain emits waves known as alpha waves. Alpha waves make you concentrate, have a good sense of self-confidence, and feel alive. On the other hand, at the same time, the brain releases hormones called endorphins, Norepinephrine, and dopamine in the body, which will help improve your mood and mood.
- Cycling
Maybe we all have experienced cycling once in our life. I’m sure you all agree with us that cycling is a very attractive sport. Cycling is one of the refreshing sports, especially in the open air, which is a magical and extraordinary combination for fitness and improving your mental health. Movement and pedaling will increase blood flow through your heart rate, which will ultimately lead to the rapid release of endorphins and other hormones, including dopamine and serotonin (happiness hormones) in the brain.
Cycling improves nerve signals in the brain, and in fact, it will be the main factor in emitting useful brain waves, including alpha; Therefore, all these conditions work hand in hand to make you feel fresh and alive. If, unfortunately, you are not able to be outside or because of some restrictions, you cannot use outdoor cycling, the only solution is to buy a stationary bicycle at home.
- Swimming
Swimming is one of the oldest sports in ancient Egypt. At that time, people used to swim for fishing or catching jewels, including pearls. Today, swimming is also a fun exercise for seniors that is performed individually and is one of the best sports exercises for freshness and a sense of vitality in the body. Scientifically, when you immerse your body in water, the blood flow in your brain is higher than when you walk on land. The increase in blood flow in the brain causes endorphin hormones to be released in large quantities in the brain when faced with relaxing environmental factors, such as the space inside the water, which will be the main factor in the body’s sense of freshness.
If you are suffering from depression and isolation, it is not bad to know that from a scientific point of view, you have suffered cell damage in a part of the brain called the hippocampus (horse-shaped internal structure of the brain); But swimming is a sport that, in addition to mental meditation in all parts of the body, increases the production of new neurons in this area, which helps to improve mood like an antidepressant.
- Tai Chi
Tai Chi or Tai Chi Chuan is one of the sports styles of Wushu, which is presented in order to increase concentration and calm the mind by performing dramatic movements. The sports movements of Tai Chi are basically slow, which is considered a spiritual meditation like yoga. So, if you always feel tired, go for this sport to spend the rest of the day better by strengthening your concentration and body.
Concluding Remarks
In this article, we want to talk about fun exercises for seniors. Keep this in mind if you don’t have time constraints, try to do your exercises early in the morning. In terms of medical science, the human body produces the vital hormone testosterone at a higher rate in the early morning, which will greatly help you build muscle mass and fitness. On the other hand, if you train early in the day, because your body has not yet entered the metabolic stage caused by eating food, you have the opportunity to burn harmful fats in the body during exercise. This in itself is a good way to keep fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Types of Exercises are Fun for Seniors?
Fun exercises for seniors are very varied and depend on individual interests and abilities. Activities such as dancing, yoga, walking, gardening, swimming, cycling, team sports, and even active video games can be very enjoyable.
Is Aerobic Exercise Useful and Fun for the Elderly?
Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming is very beneficial for the elderly. These types of exercises help to strengthen the heart and lungs, improve blood circulation and increase energy.
Is Water Sports Suitable for the Elderly?
Yes, because swimming and other water sports put less pressure on the joints and are very useful for people with joint problems.