Regular exercise and physical activity are essential for staying healthy. As we age, it can become more challenging to exercise, particularly if we have a health condition or have sustained an injury. However, it’s imperative that seniors stay active in order to gain muscle strength, stay mobile, reduce the risk of falls, and maintain a good quality of life. 

Regular exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps maintain a healthy weight, and even improves mental health and mood. 

Simple At-Home Exercises for Seniors

Exercise doesn’t need to take place in the gym — there are exercises seniors can do at home to build strength, improve endurance, and support their overall health and wellbeing. 

Tightrope Stance 

The tightrope stance — sometimes called the tandem stance — can improve balance and stability to reduce the risk of falls. 

How to do it: Stand upright with your feet together, and strengthen your core (stomach & back). Step one foot in front of the other so the front foot’s heel is against your back foot’s toe. Keep your feet in a straight line (like you’re walking a tightrope) and hold this position for 30 seconds. Then, switch the positioning of your feet and hold for another 30 seconds. You can hold onto a chair or the wall for balance if needed. 

Chair Sits 

Standing up from a chair without using your hands helps maintain muscle strength and mobility.  

How to do it: Stand in front of a chair (approximately 6 inches) with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms held out straight in front of your shoulders. Slowly bend your knees and push your hips back to lower yourself into the chair in a seated position. Then, stand by placing your body weight on your heels. Try not to swing your torso or use your hands to stand up, but instead use your core and leg muscles. Repeat 10-15 times. 

Shoulder Rolls 

Shoulder rolls improve flexibility and range of motion, and help build strength in the shoulders and upper back, which can be helpful in living independently. 

How to do it: This exercise can be completed in either a sitting or standing position. To begin, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, without hunching your back or protruding your neck. Once you shrug up, squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the shoulders back. Pull the shoulders back down, slightly rounding your upper back to push your shoulders forward. Repeat 10-15 times. 

Step-Ups

Step ups improve balance and coordination while building muscle strength in the legs. 

How to do it: Wearing supportive shoes, step up and down on the bottom step of a staircase. You don’t need to walk all the way up and down the stairs, unless you prefer to/feel safe doing so. Lead with a different foot for each step up to ensure you’re strengthening both sides of the body. Repeat 20-30 times on each side. 

Toe Lifts 

Toe lifts help strengthen legs and feet, and are an excellent way to improve your balance. 

How to do it: Slowly lift on your toes as if you are standing in a tippy-toe position. Then, slowly lower your heels back down to the ground. You can hold on to the back of a chair with one or both hands to help keep your balance if needed. Repeat 20-30 times. 

Wall Push-Ups

Wall push-ups build strength in the shoulders, arms, upper back, and chest. 

How to do it: Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-length apart. Stand close enough so that you can stretch your arms out in front of you to touch the wall. Place both palms on the wall at shoulder height and width. Slowly bend your arms to bring your chest toward the wall, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Get as close to the wall as you comfortably can, then slowly press yourself back up to standing. Repeat 15-20 times. 

Try doing these or similar exercises once a day for approximately 30 minutes a day. You don’t have to do them all at once — you can break these exercises into small segments throughout the day when you have time and the energy to do so. Mix up the exercises to keep it interesting, and play music to provide motivation and focus if you’d like. 

While it may not be a topic that most adult children of seniors want to think about, older adults can stay sexually active for as long as they are physically capable. In fact, because age comes with a certain measure of self-confidence and wisdom, seniors are sometimes enjoying sex more than they did when they were younger.

The need for physical intimacy is ageless because it can be a powerfully emotional experience, as well as a great way to protect or even improve one’s health. In general, most people want and need to be close to other humans, and that includes having relationships filled with affection and intimacy. That very human need doesn’t just vanish when we reach a certain age.

That said, sex is a physical activity, not just an emotional one. So as the body changes with age, sex may also have to change a little. After all, normal aging comes with physiological changes in both men and women – changes that can affect your ability to have sex and how much you enjoy it.

For women, vaginal changes can include a reduced ability to produce lubrication or it may take longer for the vagina to lubricate itself naturally. This is where a water-based lubricant can help prevent painful intercourse. For men, they may experience some difficulty achieving a full erection, a condition known as erectile dysfunction.

Other conditions that can have an impact on sexual activity include:

• Diabetes. Because diabetes can cause problems with blood flow throughout your circulatory system leading to nerve damage, it often leads to erectile dysfunction.
• Dementia. While people with dementia can actually have an increased interest in sex, they may lack judgment about acceptable sexual behavior, such as showing interest in someone in an appropriate manner.
• Chronic pain. In some cases, chronic pain can make intimacy uncomfortable and less enjoyable. Chronic pain can be treated and does not have to be part of getting old. Some pain medications can also reduce sexual function.
• Heart disease. Typically, heart disease is associated with poor circulation, which means for both men and women, achieving orgasm could prove difficult.

Health benefits of sex

At any age, an active sex life is good for you. For seniors, who are always encouraged to participate in heart-healthy activities, sex qualifies because it requires movement of your muscles and joints and increases your heart rate. It also boosts your immune system and, as it relieves stress, it also lowers your blood pressure. For women, sex is a workout for the muscles of the pelvic floor, so it helps reduce the risk of prolapse and incontinence.

Emotionally, sex can be great for your self-esteem and mental health, especially for seniors. That’s because it can help you feel better about yourself and more positive about your body. The emotional benefits of having someone desire you sexually can be very affirming, along with helping build a strong connection and intimacy with your partner.

Safe sex… still important

One thing that doesn’t change for sexually active seniors is that they still need to be concerned about having safe sex. Aging does not make you less susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases, which means it is important to use protection if your sex life is not an exclusive one with your partner. In fact, the growth rate of older people being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is on an upward trend. So, using condoms is just as important at an advanced age as it is at any other stage in life.

With February 14^th approaching quickly, this is a good time to start planning for Valentine’s Day and how to make it a fun day for seniors. Because people associate this special holiday with love, it’s the perfect occasion for celebrating all the love they deserve. And because we decorate for Valentine’s Day with hearts, it’s a great time to encourage heart-healthy activities.

Have fun with the decorations.

Set the mood in advance by dressing your space up with plenty of fun Valentine’s Day decorations. If you feel like it, paint it all red and pink, with balloons, streamers, and even fresh flowers. You can even invite friends, family, and especially grandchildren, to come over and help, including making their own decorations. You’ll need to have plenty of red construction paper and crayons, as well as safety scissors. After all, the more fun you can make the decorations, the more you’ll enjoy the holiday.

Watch a romantic movie… or two… or three!

One of Hollywood’s favorite topics to make movies about is the love story. Practically since the medium was invented, film-makers have been following the emotional ups and downs of their main characters as they try to find love and hold onto it. Holding a romantic film festival in your living room is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, either with friends or your special loved one, and will certainly lift your spirits.

No matter what you consider the Golden Age of Hollywood, there are plenty of options available. In fact, here is a list of some of the most popular love stories on film from each of the last decades:

• Roman Holiday (1953)
  The story of a princess who falls for an American newspaper reporter while enjoying the sights of Rome. Stars Audrey Hepburn, who won an Academy Award, and Gregory Peck.
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
  Also starring Audrey Hepburn, this is the story of two people falling in love while they’re both trying to keep their secret pasts hidden.
• The Way We Were (1973)
  Set in a time span that runs from the late 1930s to the late 1950s, The Way We Were stars Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand as an unlikely pair with widely different backgrounds trying to find love.
• When Harry Met Sally (1989)
  This movie follows the lives of Harry and Sally, who meet as college graduates sharing a ride back home to New York from Chicago. They go from hating each other, to becoming friends, to eventually finding love over a ten-year period.
• Titanic (1997)
  For most people, just mention the names, “Jack and Rose,” and they know what movie you’re talking about. It’s the love story between Jack, a poor artist, and Rose, a high-society girl aboard the doomed Titanic. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
• The Proposal (2009)
  Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling portray a hard-driving boss and her ambitious assistant, who hatch a plan to get married so she won’t be deported to Canada. Of course, pretending to be married eventually leads to true love.
• La La Land (2016)
  An aspiring actress and a jazz musician fall in love, then try to navigate a life of success in Hollywood while keeping their love intact.

Make Valentine’s Day treats from scratch.

This will be great for sharing during your romantic movie film festival! Put out a tray of fresh fruit, especially the kinds of fruit that will go with all your red and pink Valentine’s Day decorations, like strawberries, cherries, raspberries, dried cranberries, and watermelon slices. If you prefer to do some baking, heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting covered in red sprinkles would certainly be appropriate. Or consider making rice krispy treats using pink marshmallows, which you can purchase at the grocery store.

Couples’ spa treatment

Make an appointment at a nearby spa for you and your special someone to get a couples massage. Choose from a variety of spa treatments that you would both find enjoyable and relaxing and that you can do side by side. Facials, manicures, and pedicures are also very relaxing and will leave you feeling rejuvenated. Call ahead or go online to make sure they offer the spa treatments you want, and to make reservations.

Go for a heart-healthy walk.

Whether you’re walking with a spouse, partner, or friend, or as part of a group, walking is a great way to enjoy some social time while improving your heart health. Walking, even at a leisurely pace, gets your heart rate up and improves circulation throughout the body, while also burning calories. Additionally, walking helps you strengthen your bones, which is very important as we age. Research has even shown that walking enhances your mood, improving your emotional state substantially.

So have some fun with Valentine’s Day this year, and make it an enjoyable, memorable, and most of all, healthy celebration!

A significant part of that quandary is how this affects employees who are in their 60s or older. Seniors tend to have weaker immune systems and are more likely to develop COVID-19 if exposed to the virus, as well as being more likely to die from it. So, at that age, deciding to return to work can feel like you’re walking into a very dangerous situation. Meanwhile, the consequences of not working could be that the job goes away permanently, as well as the financial hardship from losing that income.

If you are planning a return to work, there are several things to keep in mind to minimize risk of exposure and the possibility of getting sick.

• Practice social distancing. There’s been plenty of research on how far the coronavirus can travel in the air when you breathe, potentially infecting other people. That’s why epidemiologists have recommended keeping six feet of space between you and others as much as possible. If you have the option, working virtually from home at least a few days a week is still a good idea.
• Wear a mask. While masks in general don’t block 100 percent of the virus when you exhale or talk, a substantial amount is caught in the mask’s fibers, substantially reducing the viral load you’re putting out into the environment. That said, the mask does a lot less to protect the person wearing it, so it’s important for everyone around you to wear a mask as well.
• Avoid hugging others or shaking hands. Hugging each other and especially shaking hands are common ways people greet each other, so this may be a difficult habit to break. However, it’s important. When you shake hands, if the person you’re greeting has coronavirus on their hands, it will be transferred to yours. Then, the next time you touch your eyes, mouth, or nose, you are effectively putting the virus into your own system. And hugging involves such close personal contact that it’s nearly impossible to protect yourself from being infected.
• Disinfect your workspace… a lot. Depending on the type of surface, coronavirus can live up to five days on desktops, counters, furniture, etc. One way it can get into your system is by being transferred from that surface to your hand, and then from your hand to your eyes, mouth, or nose. So, keep a pack of disinfectant wipes at your desk and wipe down the surfaces you touch several times a day.
• Wash your hands frequently. As often as you can throughout the day, make a point of going to the washroom and washing your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. This will get rid of any virus that may have gotten on your palms or fingers and prevent you from transferring it to other people or infecting yourself.
• Minimize how often you meet in person. Even if the person you need to meet with is just a few cubicles away, try to make it a virtual meeting using whichever platform your job uses. This is even more important if it’s a larger meeting with several people. Having a half dozen or so people sitting around a table in an enclosed meeting room increases the risk substantially.
• Avoid the cafeteria or break room. Because so many people tend to gather there, going into an office cafeteria or break room could be like walking into a coronavirus cloud. That’s a lot of people who can’t wear masks because they’re eating. Whether they’re suspended in the air or have settled onto tabletops and other surfaces, the possibility of picking up the virus is simply too risky.