Perhaps you work in an office which requires you to be at your desk for quite some time, or are a senior citizen with limited mobility, you could be in for a lot of health risks. Sitting in one place all day long can take a serious toll on your health. A vast majority of seniors or elderly people live a sedentary life, which can make their prevailing physical and mental condition worsen.
Read on to find out how sitting for longer time periods can adversely affect our bodies and easy ways to help seniors stay active even with their physical limitations. With just a few modifications, such as adding a wheelchair lift and/or a stairlift, older adults can live a much more fulfilling life that is healthy, active, and very happening.
What Are The Risks of Sitting For Prolonged Time Periods?
An action as simple as sitting might not seem dangerous, but the body was designed to be in motion at all stages of life. Many studies have been conducted and found that sitting too much and for too long can be very detrimental to one’s health. These are some of the potential health shortfalls of prolonged sitting.
- Increased risk of obesity
- Increased risk of diabetes
- Increased risk of cardiovascular or heart disease
- Muscle degeneration
- Poor blood circulation
- Eye weakness or fatigue
- Joint stiffness
Explicit Concerns for Seniors
Even though sitting all day is problematical for just about anyone; an inactive lifestyle has intense effects especially for elderly people. For instance, elderly persons are more susceptible to depression and melancholy while living a lethargic life. Since muscles that are in constant motion help pump blood along with oxygen to the brain and release natural chemicals, sedentary seniors are more expected to lose brain functioning faster than others.
Many seniors also develop a joint pain owing to prolonged sitting. Not just that, it can cause an inflexible spine, serious disk damage, and also lead to softening of the bones. All these aspects can cause permanent bone and joint disorders, such as arthritis which can be very painful and, at times, unbearable.
What Seniors Can Do To Stay Active
Luckily, there are hundreds of ways for seniors to adopt in order to can stay active even when they are not quite as active as they were back in their youth.
Here are some steps that seniors can embrace to get up from that chair and move around more often. After all, it is all about getting in motion:
- Try to move around when talking on the phone
- Walk around the house or even outside around the block
- Try out some low-impact activities such as water aerobics, yoga, or even tai chi
- Get some fresh air by taking up some easy gardening projects
- Volunteer in local community events and charity
- Install a wheelchair lift or stairlifts to assist in getting around the house to be more actively involved in household activities
Motivational Tips for Your Loved Ones!
Often times, our seniors need a little bit of that extra motivation in order to stay active. And, that’s where friends and family members come in with their positivity and love for them. Loved ones can boost seniors to consider wheelchair lifts and stairlifts among other in-door mobility devices to encourage them to remain self-sufficient, active, as well as independent.
You can also help your seniors to get involved in some more activity by involving them with your children or even pets to enable them to engage socially and physically. However, it’s imperative to talk over the sorts of physical activities out there that are safe and healthy, and also recommended that you take your loved one to a trusted medical professional to evade any impending injuries, and determine which mobility device is best for your loved one and his or her home – whether it be a stairlift, wheelchair lift, or other mobility device.
Eventually, you’ll witness that a more dynamic and active lifestyle for your loved one will prove as a great benefit for them. Besides, seeing them happy will make you happy.
