Exercise
Something Physical | 30 Minutes a Day | Muscles | Balance | Stretching

All Exercise Tips

Encourage your dad to do something that's physical and fun each day.

• Does he like to take walks?
• Does he have a bike?
• Maybe he likes to dance.

If the folks still can do physical tasks around the house or in the yard they should.

• Climb stairs.
• Vacuum, put away groceries, do the laundry.
• Trim the hedges without a power tool, mow the lawn, rake leaves.

Help your mom find a way to get at least 30 minutes of activity on most or all days of the week.

If she can't be active for 30 minutes all at once, suggest she do three 10-minute sessions for a total of 30 minutes a day.

Such "endurance activity" builds stamina so she can keep doing the things she needs and likes to do.

Encourage Uncle Bill to keep using his muscles.

When your leg and hip muscles are strong you're less likely to fall. Using your muscles may make your bones stronger, too.

This can be through daily activities—like walking uphill or raking leaves, or with an exercise program that makes sure he does the right types of activities to help him build up and maintain his endurance and strength.

Having enough muscle can mean the difference between being able to get up from a chair by yourself and having to wait for someone to help you get up. Very small changes in muscle size can make a big difference in being able to live and do things on our own.

Exercises to help with balance.

• Stand on one foot, then the other, without holding onto anything for support. (Stand next to the wall or a chair that you can reach for should you lose your balance.)
• Stand up from sitting in a chair without using your hands or arms.
• Every now and then, walk heel-to-toe. The toes of the foot in back should almost touch the heel of the foot in front when you walk this way. (Have somebody nearby the first time you try this -- it's trickier than you might think.)
• Tai Chi can increase lower body strength and improve balance.

Stretching feels so good.

Often when I stop by to visit my mom, she's down on the floor stretching. She loves it!

Stretching won't build endurance or muscles, but it can keep your joints limber giving you more freedom of movement to do the things you need and want to do.