When I was young, when I used to go to my
grandparents' house in the village, I would see a few elderly people coming,
each of whom had some kind of deformity. Some were walking hunched over, some
were walking with a limp, some were walking with a stick. That's when the
question came to my young mind - is there no way to cure this problem? As I
grew up, I learned that there is, even if not completely, there is at least
some way to cure it. And I learned that it is our ignorance that is causing us
to suffer.
Exercise is not a hobby. It is a necessity. And it is
necessary at all ages. If you want to lead a healthy life, the elderly
generally need to exercise more to keep their bodies active. It is important in
all seasons, winter/summer, but it is more necessary in winter.
There is no opportunity to talk about exercise for
children. They are already jumping around.
But the elderly can benefit a lot from exercise for a
healthy life. The elderly cannot go out for a walk in winter, there is a fear
of catching a cold. Many people do not even want to leave the elderly outside
alone. So, should the elderly in the house spend the whole day lying down? No,
it is not.
We call people above 65 years of age senior citizens.
Senior citizens or elderly people should exercise for at least 30 minutes five
days a week. This not only controls diabetes, blood pressure, and heart
disease, but also helps in increasing the function of bones, joints, and
muscles and maintaining body balance.
Many people ask - what kind of exercise is safe and
easy for them? --
Physiotherapists say - start with just walking. If you
don't want to go outside, start walking on the balcony or staircase of the
house for 5 to 10 minutes at first. Gradually increase the walking time, reach
30 minutes. Now you are ready to start strengthening exercises.
Strengthening exercises include balancing exercises,
yoga, weight exercises, swimming, cycling, etc.
Some examples of simple strength-building exercises
that can be done at home to protect your health can be given –
1) Fill
a half-liter bottle of water in your hand and bend and unbend your elbows. This
exercise increases the strength of the muscles of the hands and arms and
maintains normality.
2) Bend
your knees as if you are sitting on an empty chair and stand up straight again.
This exercise is called squatting. This will increase the strength of your
knees.
3) Stretching
should be done at the end of the exercise. For example, if you stretch your
neck forward, backward, right, left, the neck muscles are stretched. If you
feel pain or tension in your muscles while stretching, then reduce the amount
and increase it gradually.
Heart or arthritis patients should consult a doctor
before exercising. Learn and follow the rules of staying healthy to lead
a healthy life.
