While none of us wants or likes to age, it’s a simple fact of life. While we can’t stop ourselves from getting older, there are some proactive things we can do to slow down the effects of ageing. This article is going to be focusing on some tips and ideas to maintain strength and coordination as you age. You’ll learn how to maintain these two key physical attributes for as long as possible, despite how “old” you might be getting.

#1 - Get Out There and Exercise Daily

Any form of exercise is always going to be better than no exercise at all. Just going for regular daily walks can work wonders and it also helps to maintain strength and coordination. For example, when you walk, you don’t just use the muscles in your legs. Your core is also engaged, as is most of the upper body, including the neck. If you walk in areas where the ground is not totally flat and there are a few obstacles, this will also help to maintain your coordination.

Swimming is awesome for low impact exercising, as is cycling. You might even want to consider enlisting in some sort of aerobics class, as this will help with both coordination and strength training.

#2 - Exercise While Following Along To Online Videos

If you go onto a site such as YouTube and perform a search that targets exercise routines and videos for older people, you’ll discover there are loads of videos that you can follow along with to maintain your strength, fitness and coordination.

The great thing about exercising to videos is that you can pause it any time you need a break, or replay sections until you get the hang of doing the exercise routine.

Most importantly, it’s often a lot of fun as well.

#3 - Play a Sport

Your ability to play a sport will largely be age-dependent as well as what type of physical condition you currently are in. One sport or pastime that’s excellent for maintaining strength and fitness is table tennis, and you don’t necessarily have to be all that young to play. Not only is the sport great for coordination, but also the reflexes, balance, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness.

The great thing about sports and physical pastimes is that you rarely even realise you’re exercising. You’re far too focused on playing well or trying to win to really even think about the exercise you’re getting. Sometimes, working out in the gym and other mundane forms of exercise can be really boring and just plain hard work. Because there is no motive other than to exercise, that’s all you’ll be focused on. It’s totally different when you’re involved in a sport and doing something you really enjoy.

Let’s now list a few sports and pastimes that are suitable for older people to engage in:

• Table tennis
• Lawn bowls or indoor bowls
• Tenpin bowling
• Golf and mini golf (including the driving range)
• Competitive swimming
• Dancing
• Tennis
• Yoga
• Bocce ball
• Cornhole
• Croquet
• Walking soccer
• Archery
• And more…

#4 - Do Strength Training Several Times a Week

Although focusing on strength training in the gym is decidedly less interesting than playing a fun sport, it’s always good to combine some strength training in with everything else. You might also want to consider enlisting the help and guidance of a personal trainer.

If you do some strength training several times a week, it can make the world of difference. You may even want to do some free weights while training, as this will help to enhance your balance, technique and coordination.

If you are in doubt about what you’re capable of doing, consult with your doctor or fitness professional first before embarking on a strength training regime.

#5 - Set Fitness Goals

It’s always easier to achieve results if you create a plan and set goals for yourself. This applies to physical fitness as you age just as much as anything else in life.. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve already started an exercise regime or not, anytime is a good time to start mapping out some goals and ways to achieve them.

#6 - Find An Exercise Buddy

If you team up with someone else in your approximate age bracket and set some exercise and fitness goals between you, you’ll find it’s going to be much easier to reach those targets. You’ll be able to motivate one another and keep each other on track. Exercise is also a lot more interesting when you’re doing it with someone else too.

It’s also advantageous to have another person with you when you’re exercising, particularly if you’re a senior. If you suffer an injury or have an accident while out and about getting exercise, you’ll have someone there to assist you or to call for help.

#7 - Start Slow and Build It Up

The greatest deterrent to doing exercise can be going out too hard and either suffering from intense muscle pain over the following days or injuring yourself when doing something too vigorously that your body is not used to.

No matter what exercise you are planning to do or what sport you choose to play to improve your strength, coordination and fitness in general, always start out slow and gentle and work your way up to more intense and vigorous exercise. Give your body a chance to get used to the physical activity one step at a time.

The Takeaway

Getting older doesn’t have to mean becoming weak, uncoordinated and inflexible. The more active you are as you age, the more your body will be capable of doing as you age. And remember, it’s always far easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. Once you’ve improved your strength and coordination, maintaining it will feel relatively easy and if you play some form of sport, exercising will be a lot more fun.

Sources:

8 Best Sports for Elderly People to Play

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-stay-strong-and-coordinated-as-you-age-202112022651#:~:text=Participate%20in%20aerobic%20exercise%20such,%2C%20Pilates%2C%20and%20isometric%20weightlifting.

Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips