Maximizing Your Strength as a Senior Citizen

Age is just a number. It is only natural that when we age we start to lose energy and develop limitations to our mobility, but if you take good care of yourself, you can live out your life with great strength. There are many modified versions of popular workouts that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help improve your strength, both mental and physical.

Drink Plenty of Water

Let’s start with the baby steps. Stay hydrated. If you make a habit out of drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day, you will be off to a good start. Aging can diminish your sensitivity to thirst and dehydration is a serious issue that can contribute to falls. Tracking your water consumption or simply planning new hydration methods can help you maintain both physical and mental vitality.

Go For a Stroll

You can take up a habit of simply going out on a beautiful day and taking a walk. If it’s not so beautiful, you can get creative and go to your favorite mall and window shop, or if it tickles your fancy, you can join a gym and take advantage of their treadmills, or the elliptical machines if you have joint pain and cannot tolerate the impact of walking. It is important to bear in mind that the aim of any activity you partake in should push you just a touch past your comfort zone to increase muscle strength. If you are capable, find a trail or ramp up your treadmill or elliptical to an incline to activate those muscles.

Seek Counsel From a Professional

You can seek out a physical therapist to work with you on exercises and balance training to help increase balance and strength.  According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 31 million Americans over the age of 50 are not active enough. Physical activity will not only promote your physical health, but your mental health as well and can prevent premature death. If you are bedridden but have upper body strength, you can install a bed trapeze, a device that hangs over you bed that you can lift yourself with, and you can do upper body exercises like pull ups to strengthen your arms. But most importantly, check with your doctor before partaking in any physical activities to be sure you develop a workout routine that will benefit, not harm, you.