You wouldn’t expect our grannies and granddads to do intense water exercises. There are simple routines that can be done by seniors in water. These include swimming, arm curls, marching, and more. Water exercises are good in keeping the muscles relaxed and healing painful joints. Read below for more water aerobics for seniors routines.
7 Water Aerobics For Seniors Routines
There are many water aerobics for seniors routines. Aging effects limit adults to do intense exercises. Therefore, water exercises are simple and gentle. Below are water aerobics for seniors routines that they can enjoy.
1. Swimming.
Your aerobics fitness plan wouldn’t be complete without swimming. An exercise routine for seniors must be less-intense but a bit challenging. As such seniors can enjoy diving into the water to keep them healthy and active. Being in the water has a calming effect.
Swimming does not only make you more fit but you can heal your body pains. Older people don’t need to swim faster but they can gain a lot at their slow pace. Many seniors suffer from various body and joint pains. Swimming offers them the best and affordable therapy. Swimming can improve their heart health and muscle strength.
2. Aqua Jogging.
This is jogging in a pool with water just like you would jog on the ground. In this case, the difference would be water. The adults can jog around the pool with their bodies fully immersed up to the neck. They can jog or run up to five minutes or more without stopping. The adults can jog and rest after five minutes.
Three rounds of five minutes per day would be enough. The adults must not necessarily make this exercise intense but they should feel a bit challenged as they do this exercise. This exercise improves the respiratory system. It can also relieve adults of body pains. The heart rate can also be boosted by jogging in a pool.
3. Arm Circles.
Seniors need to stay healthy and active in any way. Doing exercises that strengthens various parts of their bodies. This exercise involves doing activities in the water to strengthen the upper part of the body. Firstly, to do this exercise you must make sure that water is reaching your neck.
Secondly, your arms and shoulders must be fully immersed before doing the exercise. Thirdly, make sure that you are balanced by placing one foot in front of the other to make smooth circles without losing balance. To move your arms, you should lift your arms and stretch them when they are level with your shoulders.
Your palms must face down and your arms should remain underwater. After that, you can move your arms in a circular to the one side and then change to the other side. You can repeat the activity as much as you can.
The arm circles activity is good for strengthening the back and the shoulders. Most adults are always suffering from back pain, doing this exercise in water is like receiving therapy treatment. It relieves back pain
4. Calf Raises.
This exercise targets your lower body. To do this exercise you must make sure that water is reaching your waist level. You can stand close to the wall of the pool to gain balance just in case you lose it. When you are ready, you can lift your heels and stand on your toes.
You can stand in that position for a few seconds and then lower your heels when you lose the comfort of balance. It can be repeated 10 times and or more. This exercise is good in making the adults gain balance which they tend to lose as they age. Therefore when you are looking for balance exercises, you should include calf raises.
5. Flutter Kicks.
This is one of the activities that should be included in your bucket list of senior activities. Flutter kick can be done when your head and shoulders are above the water. You have to be closer to the side of the pool. Your other hand that is on the side of the pool can hold onto the pool wall for balance.
You can start flutter kicking your legs. The flutter kicks for adults can be done at a low pace so that they don’t easily get tired. Therefore they can do the activity for several minutes until they are tired. This exercise can improve the waist strength. It can also make your pump faster thereby improving your respiratory and cardio system.
6. Chest Fly.
Exercising in water does not mean that you have to entirely depend on water. You can bring some weight and spice up your aqua exercise. Types of workouts must vary to keep on challenging the body. The chest fly is one of the types of workouts that you can add to your list of exercises.
You can use water weights to do this exercise. However, you can do it without the use of water weights. You must make sure that water reaches your chest before starting the activity. While holding the water weight or without them, you can lift your arms up to the chest point. Make sure the arms are facing each other. Then move the arms to the side and then back to the center. Repeat the movement for at least 15 times. A chest fly is good in strengthening your body.
7. Water Push-Ups.
This is one of the simple exercises that can be enjoyed by seniors. Doing push-ups in water is fun and engaging. You can stand in a pool closer to the wall and make sure that you have balance.
Then you do push-ups by leaning towards the wall and pushing your body backward. You can repeat this movement several times until you are exhausted. Water push-ups are effective in strengthening your chest and arms. You can also improve the form of your shoulders.
Benefits of Water Aerobics For Seniors Routines.
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Relieves painful joints and arthritis
- Maintains good blood pressure rate
- Strengthens core muscles
- Gives lean muscles
- Fights weight gain
- Improves quality of sleep
Things to Avoid.
Water is very dangerous and seniors must exercise caution when doing their workouts. These are some of the safety tips that you should take hid of;
- Avoid exercising in water without a partner; you might drown or slip.
- Know when to stop; do not force yourself to exercise when you are too exhausted
- Avoid doing many activities on the go; start slowly and keep on adding new activities
- Do not do exercises in deep water level when you are not good at swimming
- Do not swim in hot water with a temperature over 32 degrees Celsius
Final Thoughts
Aerobics for seniors is so simple to do but effective in keeping them healthy and active. For example, water push-ups exercise makes you feel like you are not doing anything.
However, it is one of the best exercises that can be done by seniors. Some of the best exercises for seniors include aqua jogging and swimming. These are some of the best exercises that you can incorporate in your fitness schedule to gain balance and strength.
Which aquatic exercises are the best for older adults. Share your thoughts and experiences.