Exercising regularly is good for heart and bone health and the body as a whole. Yet almost 90% of people aged 65 and older do not get enough exercise. 1 It is recommended that people aged 65 or over get 30 minutes of exercise on most days, or preferably every day.2 Cold weather can make it even more challenging to get outside and exercise. At Home Care Assistance, our Care Professionals often help people keep exercising during cold weather. We have put together this guide to help you or your loved ones keep exercising over the winter months.
Exercising outdoors provides fresh air and exposure to sunshine, which is essential for giving us vitamin D. If exercising outside in winter, you can do things to minimise the effects of the cold. These include:
- Rug up, but wear layers. This will enable you to stay warm but also prevent overheating. Maintaining a suitable body temperature can avoid detrimental effects on your health and possible injuries from exercising when you are too cold or hot.
- Focus on keeping your extremities warm. This is related to the above, but keeping your hands, feet, and head warm enough will help you stay warm while exercising. Appropriate footwear is also essential for keeping warm.
- Do a warm-up. It can sometimes be tempting to skip the warm-up and get straight into exercise. However, when it is cold outside, a warm-up is especially important. You should warm up at an intensity lower than you exercise at, and gradually increase until you reach your usual intensity level.
- Pick a warmer time of day. You might prefer to go for a walk first thing in the morning. However, during winter, you might need to consider leaving your walk until early afternoon, when it has warmed up.
- Plan your exercise. This relates to scheduling exercise into your day. Make it a bit like an appointment with yourself. This way, it is harder to skip the workout.
- Get warm and dry as soon as you get home. If you get cold or wet from sweat or rain while exercising, shower and put on dry clothes as soon as you get home.
- If the weather is terrible, consider swapping your outdoor exercise for an indoor option.
There are many options for exercising indoors at home and elsewhere. Some options include:
- Take an exercise class. This can be at a local gym—sometimes, they even have classes designed for older people. Sometimes, community hubs will also offer exercise classes that are free or at a reduced cost.
- Go to an indoor space like a shopping centre and walk around. This can be a great option if a large shopping centre is nearby. Walking around the shopping centre can be good exercise, and as a bonus, there is usually somewhere you can stop for a coffee. Consider meeting up with a friend for some company at the same time.
- Get an indoor bike or treadmill. These can be an excellent option for exercising inside in a controlled environment. They are also well suited to exercising in small chunks when starting or recovering from illness or injury. You can do just a few minutes at a time at whatever intensity is appropriate for you and gradually build it up.
- Do an online class or exercise video. There are plenty of options for exercising at home. There are paid subscriptions to exercise/dance/yoga programs. However, there are also plenty of free resources available online for a variety of different types of exercise.
Exercise is good for our physical and mental health. Therefore, getting regular exercise is essential. During winter, we must consider the conditions and adjust our exercise accordingly. Whatever exercise you do, choose something you enjoy that is appropriate for your fitness and physical capabilities, and do it regularly. If you receive home care and are struggling with exercise, speak to your Care Professional so they can support you.
Support of a home care agency like Home Care Assistance, can bring enormous benefit and comfort to your quality of life while living independently at home. Home Care Assistance has viable solutions when it comes to supporting independent living. For more information, get in touch with a Home Care Assistance near me today.
