Senior Exercise: Think Swimming!

The benefits of exercise for seniors cannot be overstated.  However, finding the type of senior exercise that matches the capabilities, inabilities and still has a high level of enjoyment for seniors, can be tricky.Swimming may not be the first activity that comes to mind when considering an exercise program for an elderly person, but it is one of the best exercises the elderly can do to stay young, able-bodied, and healthy. The benefits of this exercise are numerous, including a lower risk of falls, a decrease in the amount of pain an elderly person feels, better mental health, and enhanced cardiac function. Because swimming is a simple, non-weight bearing exercise, almost anyone of any physical ability can participate in it.

Lower Risk of Falls

Studies show that swimming is the only exercise that provides the benefit of lowering the risk of falling down, which is a serious danger for people in their older years. Experts believe the lower risk of falls is a result of the balance a person must create while they are in the water. Balancing one’s own body and coordinating how the upper and lower parts of the body work together makes the mind command the body’s cooperation—skills which carry over when a person is on land.

Decrease in Pain

Pain is a common complaint of the elderly and it is what often causes them to become sedentary, avoiding exercise. This is especially true for the elderly who suffer from arthritis and cannot handle any type of weight bearing activity. Swimming does not cause strain on the common painful joints, such as the knees and ankles, so it is the preferred method of exercise for people with this condition, but any elderly person can benefit, especially from the cardio benefits swimming provides.

Better Mental Health

There are many ways that swimming can help an elderly person’s mood. Whether or not a senior suffers from an actual mental health disease, such as depression or anxiety, or the person just suffers mood swings as a result of aches and pains felt on a daily basis, swimming can help. It helps to release endorphins, which are the good hormones within the brain that produce happy feelings; it also reduces the pain a person feels, which helps to facilitate happier moods.

Effects on Cardiac Health

Studies are being conducted to determine the positive effects swimming has on the cardiac health of the elderly. It is already known that swimming can reduce high blood pressure because of the activity itself, but scientists are looking into whether swimming has a direct effect on arterial stiffness. This condition is what causes high blood pressure and subsequent heart problems, such as heart attack and stroke in the elderly.It is important to consult a doctor before beginning any new activity, but most people are perfectly able to swim despite their conditions. It is one of the best ways to alleviate pain and suffering and to help elderly people be happily active during their elderly years.By Stephanie Clarke;  http://www.seniorsmatter.com/senior-living/senior-exercise-swimming/Image courtesy of winnond at FreeDigitalPhotos.net