Tips for Staying Active
The need for daily physical exercise is important for overall health and well-being. When someone is providing constant care for someone with a chronic illness, staying physically active can be a challenge.
However, staying active for both the caregiver and the person being cared for can help keep muscles, joints, and the heart in good shape. It also helps people maintain a healthy weight, and improve sleep habits. Below are some tips to keep you moving and grooving! Be sure and include your family member with adaptations.
Begin slowly and work your way up to longer workouts to increase endurance and flexibility. Be consistent! Great way to improve balance and minimize fall risks.
- Stay motivated by making physical activity part of your daily routine, and try to keep it around the same time each day.
- Start the day with some light stretching. This can be done sitting or standing, but make sure you support yourself with one had on the back of a chair if balance is a concern. Start with your upper body and work your way down to your feet.
- Dancing is a great way to work on endurance as well as reduce stress in the process. Partner dancing for couples can be fun as well as present the opportunity to reminisce on music and dances from earlier in the relationship.
- Gardening is an activity enjoyed by many, with the added benefit of getting outdoors. Tasks like raking and weeding are a great way to work on strength and endurance without calling it “exercise.”
- Taking walks indoors or outdoors is one of the best activities one can do to improve or maintain physical health.
- Simple seated body movements to music such as marching in place, reaching over your head, and simple stretches can be incorporated into a morning routine. It is more likely an individual will want to participate in exercise if it is with the person they know and trust. Also, try not presenting it as “exercise,” but instead, just having fun and spending time together.
- Playing upbeat music and turning off distractions, such as the television, will help set the stage for exercising. Also, make sure to have on proper clothing & shoes for physical activity, which will lend itself to a positive and safe experience.
- Most importantly, have fun!
If you would like more information on our Memory Ministry, Memory Café, o our Virtual Support Group, or just need tips on caregiving, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@firstumc.org.