Active Aging: Low-Impact Sports for Seniors

As a senior, it may feel like everywhere you turn, you hear about how physical activity promotes wellness. And, in fact, the evidence is pretty strong that it does. But if you’re like many seniors, making the leap from a more sedentary lifestyle to fitness fanatic seems like an improbability — if not impossibility!

Fortunately, even low-impact exercise can have a major effect on your health and overall well-being. Before you learn more about some of the best low-impact activities for seniors, it’s a good idea to understand more about the health benefits of senior sports.

Why You Need to Step It Up

As you enter your golden years, it’s common to embrace a slower pace and settle into a less demanding daily routine. However, over time, that can actually speed up the aging process. Staying active is no magic elixir, but it sure helps. Here’s how:

• The phrase “use it or lose it” is especially true when it comes to muscle tone, and as you age, it’s increasingly difficult to rebuild what you lose. Regular physical activity helps you retain muscle, even as you naturally lose some to the aging process. It also helps keep joints supple and promotes better balance and mobility.
• Physical activity also plays a role in preventing certain health conditions, especially those related to your heart. When you’re exercising, you’re helping your body get more oxygen and promoting better blood circulation. That’s good for your body and your brain.
• Especially as you grow older, having a workout buddy is a smart idea for safety, but it also makes getting exercise more fun. It can give you a chance to strengthen bonds with family, engage with old friends or even make some new ones, and keeping up social ties is important for your mental health.
• Exercise releases natural endorphins that make you feel good. You may find yourself reliving your glory days when you revisit a sport you enjoyed in your youth, or you might turn your quest for more activity into opportunities for enjoying sports with grandchildren. You may be surprised by how much pleasure you can get out of getting on your feet.

Low-Impact Activities for Seniors

You don’t have to be a full-fledged athlete or even set foot in a fitness center in order to get the health benefits of more physical activity. Here are some examples of low-impact activities you might enjoy and options that promote fitness training for seniors in low-contact sports:

• Walking
• Hiking
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Golf
• Gentle strength training
• Tai Chi
• Yoga
• Senior aerobics
• Pickleball
• Bowling
• Bocce ball
• Shuffleboard
• Dancing

Smart Ways to Stay Safe

Your doctor is likely to support your interest in a more active lifestyle, but they may have recommendations for other activities for seniors or precautions based on your current health. Be sure to talk about your plans so you can avoid unnecessary risk. Your doctor can also help you understand what signs to watch for so you can avoid pushing yourself too hard, which is easy to do when you’re out of practice.

Other tips to protect your safety include:

• Wearing a sturdy pair of shoes with good support and strong soles
• Dressing appropriately for the weather so you don’t get chilled or overheated
• Staying well-hydrated before, during and after a workout
• Sticking to well-lit areas where you can see your footing and surroundings clearly
• Easing your muscles and joints into and out of a workout by warming up and cooling down

If you do get hurt, be sure to seek medical care promptly. A minor twinge can become much more serious if it leads to a fall or other injury. If you live in a community with a continuum of care, like Riverside Senior Life communities, you’ll have convenient access to care and even therapy to help you recover faster.