Get active at any age with these five accessible activities to improve your health

Regular exercise is good for your loved one’s health, mood, and overall well being. But did you know that it is also one of the most important preventive health measures we can take as we age?

And with the elderly population in the Buffalo area increasing, there is no better time to focus on supporting our Buffalo seniors in getting as healthy as possible! In Erie County, the senior population has increased by 19% since 2017. The overall number of older adults in the Buffalo area increased by 25,517—up from 136,642 in 2007 to 162,159 in 2017. In fact, seniors now account for 18 percent of the Buffalo area’s overall population, up from 15 percent a decade ago.

Studies have repeatedly shown that exercise is beneficial for every individual, including seniors and those suffering with memory challenges. Regular exercise not only helps support muscle retention and bone density, but it also improves mood, helps with sleep, and allows seniors to feel accomplished and connected. It’s no surprise that incorporating regular exercise into your loved one’s routine is important to support their long term health.

Our expert team at Juniper Glen Transitional Assisted Living and Memory Care community in East Amherst, NY, near Buffalo, is dedicated to supporting the health of our valued senior residents, so we’ve compiled this list of accessible physical activities for people of any age and capability:

Seated Yoga

This low impact form of exercise gives your loved one a great workout. It has many added benefits which include helping improve muscle strength and flexibility, while also helping to improve mental health. Several seated yoga positions you and your loved one can try are:

• Seated Cat Pose
• Seated Cow Pose
• Seated Mountain Pose
• Seated Forward Fold

Resistance Band Workout

Resistance band exercises are a great way to get the body moving with low impact and also help to strengthen muscles and get the heart rate up. Resistance bands are available in various strengths, so your loved one can choose the band that suits their capabilities. Resistance bands can also be used for a variety of muscle-strengthening and stretching exercises, and many of these can be done while seated. That means no matter what the capabilities of the seniors in our Buffalo-area memory care community, resistance bands offer a great exercise opportunity!

Walking

No equipment needed! This classic form of exercise is a great way to keep your loved one’s body healthy, connect with others, enjoy nature, and feel great! Seniors at our Buffalo-area transitional assisted living community can enjoy a daily walk around our safe and secure grounds. If they need a break, they can always stop in one of our well-kept common areas for a breather!

Gardening

Did you know that gardening can be great exercise? Not only that, your loved one can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes with watching their plants grow, as well as any tasty fruits, vegetables, or herbs they sprout! As the weather warms up here at our Buffalo-area dementia care community, we encourage our residents to get outdoors and get moving by planting and tending to seeds. We love seeing the joy that comes from healthy movement combined with the delight of seeing their plants grow!

A report done by the Center for an Urban Future shows that the elderly population of New York State has increased by 26%, and that 1 in 6 New Yorkers is now over the age of 65. This means that it is now more important than ever to improve and maintain the health of New York’s 65+ population through both exercise and care. The exercises we have provided are a great starting point for any age to get moving and stay active! Here at Juniper Glen Transitional Assisted Living and Memory Care near Buffalo, NY, we encourage all of our residents to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To learn more about our residency or schedule a tour of Juniper Glen, contact our friendly team today.

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