Physical fitness is important to everyone. As we get older, it becomes even more important. It’s a proven fact that staying physically fit can greatly enhance your quality of life. This has never been truer than when you are an older adult in your senior years.

Staying physically fit helps to maintain your overall body health as well as help keep your mind sharp. No matter what a person’s size or age, there is a physical activity that can help them maintain an active lifestyle.

Physical fitness is important at any age but especially to those who are over the age of 65. Naturally you are not going to find many over the age of 65 hitting it hard in the gym lifting massive weights and running on the treadmill. However there are numerous exercises that can be adapted to assist in keeping a person healthy. Activity levels can range from low to moderate and vigorous. Maintaining an active lifestyle can help those who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and more. Not to mention, physical fitness is a great stress reliever.

There is no need to worry about going to a gym because physical activity can come in many forms. Walking is probably one of the most beneficial forms of exercise out there. People who have incorporated at least 30 minutes of walking a day into their life have dropped weight and in return have helped their overall health.

Many of today’s seniors like to garden. Gardening is also a great form of exercise. Most people don’t realize the number of muscles you are working by merely gardening. When gardening, a person is bending and squatting, stretching and lifting so it is working your entire body from head to toe. Even something as simple as cleaning your home or area can contribute to your overall well-being. Swimming is a very beneficial activity. The body moving against the resistance of the water helps your entire body.

Assisted living facilities like Discovery Village believe that physical fitness is important. That’s why a multitude of activities combined with a healthy diet are incorporated into the environment. When you combine diet and exercise you can:

Increase your overall health.
Assist in helping reduce the symptoms of or prevent many diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more.
Help those suffering from depression.
Increase your overall cardiovascular health.
Maintain a healthy body weight and muscle/fat ratio.
Increase your overall strength and flexibility levels.
Help strengthen bones thus reducing the risk for fractures.

In order to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle remember to do the following:

Work to get in about 2 to 2 ½ hours of walking in a week. Attempt to increase your activity level throughout the week.
Attempt to do at least 75 minutes a week of strength building exercises. This doesn’t have to be anything strenuous but just enough to help increase your strength level.
Work to increase your cardio level each week.

Aerobics is another great way to increase your overall health and well-being. Aerobics gets your heart beating faster which helps with your cardiovascular health. Today you can do a variety of aerobic exercise from the traditional exercises to water aerobics. By slowly increasing your exercise time, strength level and movements you are conditioning your body from head to toe.

In addition to getting quality exercise in, sleep is also vital to your health. Today’s assisted living facilities believe in the value of exercise, getting plenty of rest and living a quality life. That’s why all Discovery Village facilities provide a variety of activities and an environment that provides the opportunity for adequate sleep to help residents feel their very best.

Everyone wants to live a longer, healthier and more productive life. It all begins with the right exercises combined with a proper diet. All meals at assisted living facilities are designed to not only look and taste good but provide the nutritional benefits and values that your body needs each and every day. You can’t have one without the other. After all what good would a great exercise routine do if all you were eating was chips, donuts and cookies?

Find out more about how Discovery Village can help keep you moving towards and happy and healthy life well into your seniors years.

Discovery Village at Sarasota Bay offers a variety of senior living programs to keep seniors healthy and active. Learn about our senior living options and amenities today when you contact us at 941.209.3466.