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Home Care: What Are the Best Exercises For Improving Balance?

Home Care: About 20% of falls in older adults lead to serious injury. A hip fracture is the most common injury, and head injuries are second.
elderly person with physical therapist
Home Care in San Diego CA: Exercise

Home Care: About 20% of falls in older adults lead to serious injury.

A hip fracture is the most common injury, and head injuries are second. The older a person is, the higher the chances of a fall leading to catastrophic injuries. Balance changes as you age, increasing the risk of a fall. Your dad lives alone, and you and your home care provider want to do everything possible to keep him on his feet. Have you taken a closer look at the benefits of exercise for balance and stability?

Jazzercise

Jazzercise dates back to the 1960s. It’s a blend of dance and exercise that helps strengthen the muscles and joints while boosting cardiovascular fitness by getting the heart pumping. It blends dance, resistance training, and strength training to help improve balance and stamina.

Pilates

Pilates exercises both the mind and body by using controlled movements and breathing exercises. It helps with flexibility, balance, and stamina by toning muscles and joints. It primarily focuses on abdominal, back, and hip muscles.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is technically a martial art that uses targeted movements and breathing to fill the body with energy and rid the mind of stress and tension. It focuses on balancing the mind and core in gentle moves and stretches.

Yoga

Most people are familiar with Yoga. It’s a beneficial program as it helps with balance, mobility, and flexibility, but it also helps with stress and anxiety. Yoga exercises the entire body and the mind through breathing and stretches that are done in different poses.

Zumba

Like Jazzercise, Zumba blends dance moves with exercises. It was started by a Colombian aerobics instructor who combined merengue and salsa dances into a fitness program.

If your dad wants to try Zumba, look at Zumba Gold Toning, a low-impact version that stresses posture, muscle strength, balance, and mobility. Otherwise, look at Aqua Zumba that’s done in a pool where the buoyancy eases stress on the joints. Aqua Zumba is ideal for older adults experiencing arthritis pain.

Talk to your dad’s doctor about any limitations he has regarding exercise. He may need to start slowly and work with a physical therapist to learn what he should and shouldn’t be doing for motions. After that, get your dad interested in exercise by finding the programs he enjoys.

Does your dad need help to stay motivated? Would he exercise regularly if he had someone cheering him on or even joining in? Ask about home care benefits by calling your local home care agency. Caregivers can remind your dad to exercise, join him on walks, or drive him to fitness classes at local senior centers.

 

For more information about hiring Home Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Sources:

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/senior/measure/falls_sr/state/U.S.

Brittnei Salerno

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