Exercise is an ultimate solution to a lot of our body issues, diseases, sloppiness and most importantly laziness. It caters to all ages and body shapes or sizes but most of all, it is a dire need for elderly people. It keeps them active and helps them guard themselves against all sorts of odds internally and externally including the diseases like Alzheimer, heart diseases or arthritis.
Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, the dean of the Graduate College at the University of Illinois who is also a Ph.D expert on adults exercise, says: “If you want to reduce the risk of getting a chronic disease, all you need to practice is exercise in your daily routine”. People know and understand the importance of exercise and overall physical activity but they still fail to incorporate it practically in their daily schedules.
Dr. Zajko also referred that: “Motivated people are the only ones who would listen, practice and endorse this physical activity or else your advice will fall on deaf ears. Which is generally a lost case because you mostly have to talk it out with your patients, making them understand the entire process of how the exercise is beneficial for several of their issues and how much exercise is required every day”.
You may not have to take your parents to a regular checkup or doctors and physicians because that may also turn them against this whole idea of physical activity. Instead, you can sit and talk it out with them emphasizing on the below mentioned points to make them realize how they can benefit from it and can improve their own health. Show them that they are in power and they might just like to strictly observe it without a miss.
Emphasize On The Empowering Goals
While emphasizing on exercise, talk about the radiating goals that can empower them at their increasing age. Let them imagine how with this exercising habit they can move around briskly, can remember things in a better way, can live independently in their own home, shop at their own for themselves, go hunting with friends or family or sightseeing and actually enjoy their life the way they want, if only, they prioritize exercise in their every morning or evening.
Calculate the Practicality of more Exercise
After motivating them, now show them the practicality of their everyday exercise routine. How much exercise can avail what goals and how much they have to push themselves for more valid goals. The more the intensity the closer they are towards achieving their settled goals. This itself is a mega motivation for a lot of people, when they begin to see the increasing stamina in themselves.
Discuss the Activity Options
If you want to push someone to do something, then the first thing you can try with them is to cover it with things of their interest. They are more likely to go for it because they love it and ultimately be working out for their major goals. For instance you can introduce them to their favorite dance class, or an actual work out session, or swimming, acrobats, go shopping, or any outdoor activity that can push them to exercise as well as achieve their interest and goals.
Design Small Targets
The standard charts and activity guides may not push you to take extra mile of walk or any exercise but you need to devise achievable small targets for your parents considering their health, age and stamina. Big tasks may sound challenging but can be demotivating for some old people. So, you must begin at small pace continuing it with just a few steps more, every day.
Track their daily progress
Make a tracking chart to mark their daily task and check their progress. When they will check their daily routine, it will boost their morale to carry on and will motivate them enough to increase it slowly, day by day. Give them easy targets that they can check and it will automatically push them enormously. Just make a habit of tracking their overall performance.
Get them a Partner
You always tend to perform better when you have a competition or when you see people in same state as you and they are pushing harder, this obviously inculcates more courage and drive in you, to struggle for your own good.
Just like that, find your parents some exercise partners, preferably of their own age, so they can both be each other’s support and can progress together. It can also be a way to keep them motivated and accountable of their everyday check and cheats. Encourage them to find themselves a partner in their locality, sharing schedules and deadlines, and this will benefit both.
Don’t Miss the Routine
There should be an absolute no to cheats in their daily exercise routine. Emphasize as much as you can on the importance of never taking a leave from their new exercising routine. Even if it feels sore or achy, just push them to move on and get into their basic routine. Exercise is inevitably important for everyone and most importantly for elderly people, it can be magical.
At maximum, you can show them how they can alternate their routines or work outs by doing chores and errands inside the home, if it’s an absolute no to going out for a walk or any other activity but they can just not take a break!
