Indoor walking can be a great way for seniors to stay healthy, but it’s important to start small, aim for a consistent routine, stretch beforehand, and stay hydrated.
According to the American Heart Association, walking an extra 500 steps daily is linked to a 14% lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. If you’re a senior living just north of Jackson in Ridgeland, MS, doing more walking can be a great move.
Indoor walking can be a convenient way to start exercising regularly. Be sure to follow these indoor walking tips for seniors in Ridgeland, MS.
How Do You Start Indoor Walking?
The extensive benefits of walking regularly are well-known, and no matter what your age is, creating a walking habit can help improve your health and change your life for the better. Even just a few minutes a day of a simple indoor walking routine can provide benefits and improve your health and wellbeing considerably.
Maintaining a regular indoor walking habit is one of the best senior fitness ideas. Walking regularly can:
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Improve balance
- Strengthen bones and joints
- Help you maintain a healthy weight
On top of performing walking exercises for balance and mobility, indoor walking can also improve your mental and emotional health, putting you in a great mood and helping your brain to work more effectively.
If you plan to do some indoor walking, remember that it’s okay to start slow. Consistency is key, so aim to build a regular habit rather than trying to overdo it or take on long walking sessions immediately.
Is Walking Indoors Effective?
Walking is a great way to stay active indoors and maintain your physical and emotional health. It’s not necessary to do your walking in the outdoors to experience most of the advantages.
There are a variety of ways to walk inside. Walking in place is one option, but you may also choose to use a treadmill if you have one available. Spending five minutes per day at first can be a good starting point, but it’s useful to get 30 minutes per day once you’re able to work your way up to it.
To get more benefit and improve your coordination, consider incorporating other movements such as arm movements and side steps. It’s ideal to practice a variety of motions to gain the most benefit. You may also want to increase your intensity and speed over time.
Tips for Indoor Walkers
When starting a walking habit to stay active indoors, it can be useful to remember a few key tips. Here are a few walking mobility tips for seniors that you should keep in mind.
Put Your Shoes On
Be sure that your feet have adequate support during your daily indoor walking session. Wearing walking or running shoes can provide comfort and stability, and can help reduce the wear on your joints.
Remember to Hydrate
Always drink plenty of water when doing exercises of any kind. Drinking before, during, and after doing some indoor walking is ideal and will help prevent dehydration and ensure safety.
Keep Yourself Entertained
Working up to longer indoor walking sessions is easier if you give your mind something else to focus on. Listening to music or watching a TV show as you walk on a treadmill or walk in place can make the exercise much easier to handle.
Stretch First
Stretching provides plenty of its own benefits to seniors, but it’s also useful to do it immediately before going on a walk. Stretching before walking can help you avoid injuries and is a great habit to get into.
Talk to a Doctor
Always aim to talk to a doctor before making any major changes to your exercise routine. A doctor will know your needs well and can help you decide on walking exercises that are right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Should a 70-Year-Old Walk Every Day?
Generally, seniors who are 65 years of age or older need to get a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking, on a weekly basis.
An easy way to get this amount of exercise is to walk five days a week for 30 minutes each. If activity is more vigorous, 75 minutes may suffice. You can also use a combination of these two types of aerobic activity.
In addition to this, the CDC recommends that seniors over 65 also perform muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week and perform some activities that improve balance.
Do Steps Around the House Count?
Indoor walking, even around the home, counts as a physical wellness activity and can lead to a healthier, happier life. While it may seem more practical to take an outdoor walk or to walk on a treadmill, walking around the home can be a more convenient option. It’s also one of the best winter wellness activities when it’s too cold to go outside.
Walking around the home can work well as long as you’re getting the steps you need and spending an appropriate amount of time on the activity.
Is It Better to Walk Faster or Longer?
Walking either faster or longer is a good way to improve the effectiveness of your workout. However, walking faster is a bit more effective for generating positive health results.
Moving at a faster pace can help to increase your heart rate and offer even better improvements for cardiovascular health and increase your metabolism. Studies have also shown a reduction in mortality risk. In one study, faster walking of 15 minutes per day was more effective than 3 hours of slow walking on a daily basis.
On the other hand, walking for longer periods of time is also beneficial, and in particular, can help improve your stamina.
Starting an Indoor Walking Routine
Maintaining a regular indoor walking routine can help you boost your mobility and stay healthy as a senior. Be sure to start slow, stay hydrated, and do some stretching beforehand if you want to get the most out of your exercise sessions.
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