Walking is one of the best things that seniors can do to improve their health and stay healthy as they get older. Walking is a simple exercise that almost everyone can do. It doesn’t require any special equipment except comfortable and supportive shoes. It’s free. And seniors can walk just about anywhere. But seniors often struggle to make a daily walk a habit. If your senior loved one wants to start moving more but can’t seem to make walking part of their daily routine here are four things they can do to make a healthy thirty minute walk a part of their day:
Get Household Help
One of the big excuses that seniors use to get out of walking everyday is that they have to take care of the household chores like cleaning up. Home care assistance can take care of any cooking, cleaning, or other tasks that must be done so that your senior loved one can focus on taking a healthy walk. And after the walk if they need a food scrub, medication, or other aftercare home care assistance can take care of that too.
Walk At The Same Time Each Day
One of the best ways to make a daily walk a habit is to walk at the same of the day every day. Many seniors prefer to walk in the morning when they are rested and physically feel a little better than they do at night. At night it’s common for seniors to be more fatigued and to not feel like exercising. But whatever time of the day your senior loved one likes to walk they should pick a set time and walk at that time every day.
Get Into Walking Clothes First Thing In The Morning
A fantastic way to get motivated to go exercise is for your senior loved one to get right into their walking clothes when they get up. Seniors are much more likely to go for a walk when they’re already dressed for a walk. If your senior loved one needs help getting dressed a home care provider can help them get into appropriate walking clothes and comfortable walking shoes so that they are all ready to get moving. If you want to start walking more yourself you can try this trick for yourself and you’ll see it really does work.
Get a Fitness Tracker
Fitness trackers these days can track a bewildering array of health metrics that can actually be a little confusing. But a simple step counter or a fitness tracker that just tracks steps and heart rate is a great thing for seniors to have. Studies show that people are much more likely to take more steps and be more active when they are using a step tracker. Set a goal of between 5,000 and 7,000 steps for your senior loved one to start with and encourage them to take as many steps towards that goal as they can. By tracking their steps seniors will also be able to track their progress and gain a sense of accomplishment which will help motivate them to keep walking.