Exercise for Seniors Over 70 with Limited Mobility: Gentle Routines That Make a Difference

The best exercise for seniors over 70 is light, low-impact aerobic exercise, such as walking and swimming. These exercises help to promote balance, flexibility, and mobility without straining the body. Some light strength training can also help, depending on the senior's mobility.

Are you getting all of the exercise you need? The CDC states that seniors need at least two and a half hours of light exercise every week. While 150 minutes of exercise doesn't sound like much, mobility challenges can make this tally much harder.

South Carolina is the perfect state to spend your retirement, and no city is more welcoming than Rock Hill. Known as Football City USA, we're ideal for sports enthusiasts, but that doesn't mean there's only sports to enjoy! Whether you're here for our historic downtown, the Catawba River, or our thriving culture scene, we're proud to have you.

If you're curious about low-impact workouts for seniors, we're here to help. Read on for a quick overview of aging and activity, and how these workouts can help you with mobility support in assisted living.

Understanding Aerobic Exercise

When it comes to exercise for seniors over 70, one of the most common categories you'll find is aerobic exercise. But what is aerobic exercise, and how does it blend in with strength and balance routines?

Aerobic exercise is a category that utilizes continuous, rhythmic movements. According to the Cleveland Clinic, aerobic exercise focuses on using your large muscle groups in repetitive motions.

In short, it's a form of exercise that provides you with low-impact workouts for seniors, although it's popular among all ages. That contrasts it with weightlifting and more intense forms of strength training. These exercises are perfect to mesh aging and activity.

Low-Impact Workouts

What do people mean when they refer to the "impact" of a workout? It doesn't mean effectiveness; a workout's impact is how intense it is on your body.

For example, a high-impact workout is heavy strength training. Lifting weights puts strain on your joints, bones, and muscles, making it unfit for the average senior.

Some common low-impact aerobic exercises include:

Running, walking, and other forms of cardio
Swimming
In-place movements
Meditative stretches, exercises, and movements

Safe Senior Exercise Ideas

What are the most common exercise routines for seniors? Mobility support in assisted living can help ensure you're able to do as many exercises as possible.

That said, your limitations are your own. While they can restrict you from some exercises, there's always something you can do without much difficulty. That's especially the case for some of these easily customizable exercises.

It's also worth noting that many of these exercises are done in classes. Michigan Medicine states that 33% of all seniors aged 50-80 battle feelings of isolation and loneliness. Completing these exercises in a class format will help you socialize and exercise.

Here are some of the best low-impact workouts for seniors.

Yoga and Chair Yoga

Yoga is a meditative exercise that focuses on putting your body into poses rather than a traditional workout. These poses are stationary and require limited mobility.

In fact, these exercises are perfect for people dealing with limitations! That's because there are so many positions, you're bound to find something that matches your needs.

That said, Yoga is often done on the floor, which some seniors find challenging. Chair Yoga is often done for strength and balance routines.

As the name suggests, Chair Yoga makes use of a chair to help seniors with stability. It also stops seniors from having to lower themselves to the ground. That's ideal for anyone dealing with mobility issues!

Swimming Exercises

Swimming is a perfect exercise for seniors dealing with mobility challenges. Many doctors use water for physical therapy because of the benefits floating has for us.

When we're floating in water, the vast majority of the strain on our joints, bones, and muscles is relieved. We're effectively weightless, helping keep that strain off.

Of course, your mobility limitations may impact how well you can swim. Make sure that you're safe to swim before using a pool for your aerobic exercise!

Gentle Strength Training

There are plenty of strength training exercises that are still perfect for seniors, even those of us dealing with mobility challenges. While it's unlikely we'll work on weightlifting, other gentle strength exercises are perfect.

Resistance bands are a common tool for strength training, for example. Resistance bands are essentially giant rubber bands that provide resistance when you pull against them.

Some other exercises include:

Wall planks
Body-weight squats
Lightweight lifting

Think of what fitness-focused amenities your community offers and what exercises they'll help you complete!

Frequently Asked Questions

Our health is an important topic, and it's natural for us to have more questions about aging and activity. Here are some of the most common questions regarding exercise for seniors over 70.

Is Exercising Alone Safe?

If you're dealing with mobility challenges, we don't recommend working out alone. Many assisted living programs will help ensure you have someone to be with as you exercise.

That said, speak to your preferred medical professional and see what they recommend. They may have suggestions for exercises you can complete alone.

How Do I Know When Exercise Classes Are Held?

That depends entirely on your living community! Here at TerraBella Rock Hill, we keep a published activity calendar to help you see what activities are available.

You should prioritize your time by the events you're interested in and passionate about. Still, there's always something going on, so don't worry about not being able to find an event!