Why is Walking a Crucial Activity for Senior Citizens?

One of the most beneficial activities for senior citizens is walking. The benefits of this activity are mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional. From everything from weight control to combating health conditions to improving mood, walking is critical to the health of every elderly person. 

 

As a family caregiver, it is beneficial for you to know how helpful regular walking can be for your elderly loved one. The more you know about the benefits of this activity, the more you and elder care providers can encourage your elderly loved one to take walks daily. 

Lowering Blood Pressure

Does your elderly loved one have high blood pressure? If so, walking could be helpful by lowering their blood pressure. Research shows that senior citizens who go on daily walks have a much healthier blood pressure level than those who don’t. In addition to lowering blood pressure, walking regularly also helps to slow down heart rate and reduce the risk of heart disease, too. 

Preventing Diabetes

Did you know there are many senior citizens who develop diabetes? Unfortunately, since weight gain is so common in the elderly, it is much easier for them to get diabetes. However, walking helps with weight loss which helps to keep blood sugar levels under control and keep the body safe from chronic inflammation. 

Good for the Mind

A walking routine can be good for your elderly loved one’s mind, too. Studies have shown that senior citizens who walk regularly are much less likely to get dementia or other neurodegenerative conditions. In addition, walking is good for the mind in general. It helps senior citizens to have better concentration, focus, and mindset about life. 

Helpful for Emotional Management

When you or elder care providers are over at your loved one’s home, do you notice they seem a bit on edge? What about stressful situations? Is it becoming more difficult for your elderly loved one to handle those situations? If so, it is important to know that walking is good for their emotional health. There are many senior citizens who walk on a regular basis that are able to easily handle any stressful situation that comes their way. That should be reason enough for your elderly loved one to take regular walks. If needed, maybe you or a home care provider could go on these walks with them. 

Less Pain

Research also shows that senior citizens who walk daily have much less pain than those who don’t get enough walking in. The primary reason for this is that walking helps to reduce inflammation and tension throughout the body. 

Conclusion

Is your elderly loved one a regular walker? If not, maybe it is time to talk to them about these benefits. Once they realize just how much walking can benefit their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, maybe they will start going on more walks than they do right now. 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care in Falls Church, VA please contact the caring staff at Butters Home Health Care today. (703) 371-2113

 

Sources

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Walking-the-benefits-for-older-people