The Perks of Having a Workout Buddy

October 10, 2014

The benefits of exercise and physical activity are seemingly endless. Not only does working out strengthen your muscles, but it also improves your endurance, helps your heart, lowers your risk of conditions such as cholesterol and cancer, boosts your mood, provides you with more energy, helps you maintain a healthy weight, and so on.

For seniors specifically, engaging in a regular fitness routine—whether traditional exercise or other physical activities—reduces the risk of falls, which becomes a greater concern with age. It may also help maintain a higher level of cognitive function and ease aches and pains.

 

Find Senior Living Near Me

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that adults engage in moderately intense aerobic activity for at least 2.5 hours a week and strength training for at least two days a week.

Whether you’ve contemplated increasing your physical activity in your independent senior living community or decided to commit to fitness, encouraging a friend or loved one to join you is an excellent way to stay motivated. You can support each other as you strive toward better health and wellness.

Benefits of a Workout Buddy:

Accountability
When you recruit someone to exercise with you, you are held accountable for following through with a workout plan. Whether you sign up for a dance class, vow to take daily walks after lunch, or want to try yoga, you and your workout partner will rely on each other to show up. This is great motivation on the days when you’re feeling tired or your energy levels are running low.

Fun
One reason you may have yet to exercise much in the past is that you find it boring. With a workout partner, fitness can become more fun. You can spend the time chatting and catching up during a stroll around a park or encourage each other to challenge yourselves as you work your way through a strengthening session. In any case, physical activity may become something you look forward to because it’s another chance to socialize and spend time with someone you care about.

Effectiveness
One of the most important things to remember while working out is to use the proper form for each exercise. This ensures that you’re targeting the right muscles and reduces your risk of injury. You and your workout buddy can watch each other perform different exercises to ensure the form is right and offer advice and adjustments for improvement.

Related Posts

View All News
Female caregiver helping her senior loved one walk safely.

November 4, 2024

No One Cares Like Family

November is Family Caregivers Month. Many of us wouldn’t be where we are today without the love and support we got from our families growing up. So, when they need our help, we want to be there in anyway we can! The hard part is that when a family member requires a lot of help […]

Read More
Senior living resident holding her cat

October 17, 2024

Short-Term Stays Lead to Long-Term Success

  Just like it sounds, a short-term stay temporarily allows someone to stay in assisted living. Moving is a big decision, as is giving up a long-term residence. Coming in to try before signing long-term can be a useful way to help seniors choose where they’d like to spend their future. Short-term stays offer choice […]

Read More
Senior living residents and staff wearing watches with proactive health tracking capabilities.

September 30, 2024

Technology Helps Seniors Stay Safe

Caregiving for our senior loved ones is truly an honor. They helped us, and we’ll do everything possible to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. Helping those we love can present a dilemma: there are not enough hours in the day when we have families to support, jobs to attend to, and ordinary obligations that […]

Read More
Edgewood logo on gray background

August 30, 2024

Press Release: Using Technology to Improve Senior Living

News Release Contact: Rich Ostert Title: Regional Vice President Phone: 701-738-2000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Rapid City, SD) Edgewood Healthcare was recently awarded grant funding from the South Dakota Department of Human Services. This funding will help to enhance the technology systems in the Edgewood Communities of Pierre, Rapid City, and Spearfish. Each community will have […]

Read More