4 Types of Exercises to Help Older Adults Manage Diabetes

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Exercise, along with medication and a well-balanced diet, can help seniors control their blood sugar levels and prevent some of the complications associated with diabetes. Proper exercise can also help seniors living with diabetes enhance their quality of life. Encourage your elderly loved one to try to include some or all of these exercise types in his or her daily routine.

1. Endurance Exercises

Participating in endurance exercises boosts the health of various organs within the body, such as the heart, lungs, and respiratory system. In addition to keeping these systems healthy, endurance exercises can also boost overall health and delay the progress of diabetes by helping with blood sugar control.

Examples of endurance exercises seniors with diabetes can do include:

  • Swimming
  • Biking
  • Yard work (digging, mowing, or raking)
  • Dancing
  • Jogging or brisk walking

For optimal health, it’s essential for older adults with diabetes to adopt healthy habits, including regular exercise. Maintaining a high quality of life can be challenging for some seniors, but professional caregivers can help them attain this goal. Families can trust home care service experts to help their elderly loved ones focus on lifestyle choices that increase the chances of living longer and healthier lives.

2. Strength Building Exercises

These exercises, also referred to as resistance exercises, can help seniors build muscle in their legs and arms. Your loved one can lift light weights and use elastic bands and his or her body weight for strength building exercises. 

Strength training provides other benefits to seniors with diabetes, such as:

  • Weight loss
  • Better response to insulin
  • Helping the body with the way it uses blood sugar
  • Reducing the risk of heart disease

If your loved one lives alone, you may not be able to monitor his or her exercise habits closely, but a professional caregiver can do this and much more. For some families, caring for a senior loved one can be overwhelming at times. Luckily, they can rely on professional respite care. Huntsville, AL, Home Care Assistance is a trusted name in respite and hourly care. Our caregivers are available around the clock to assist seniors with bathing, transportation, medication reminders, exercise, and much more, allowing families the time they need to focus on other important responsibilities or just take a break.

3. Stretching Exercises

Seniors who have diabetes or want to prevent diabetes should do stretching and flexibility exercises on a regular basis. Stretching and flexibility exercises burn calories and increase muscle tone, slowing down the progress of diabetes. Since stress can make diabetes worse, stretching should be done regularly to reduce these feelings. These exercises also build muscle to prevent slips or falls.

Some stretching and flexibility exercises your loved one with diabetes can do are:

  • Pilates
  • Yoga
  • Side bends
  • Arm bends
  • Toe touches

4. Balancing Exercises

These exercises can help seniors with diabetes boost the health of specific body parts. For instance, some balancing exercises increase a senior’s overall balance, while others build muscles in the arms or legs. These fluid movements can strengthen your loved one’s balance, lower stress levels, reduce blood sugar, and boost nerve function.

Some balancing exercises your loved one with diabetes can do are:

  • Chair exercises
  • Walking around the room
  • Marching in place

Seniors who face serious health challenges such as diabetes can live in safety and comfort at home with the help of trained professional caregivers. Huntsville senior care professionals can be a wonderful boon to seniors. Whether they require around-the-clock supervision or just need assistance with exercise and household tasks a few days a week, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life with the help of trusted in-home caregivers. If your loved one needs professional care, Home Care Assistance is here to help. Call one of our dedicated Care Managers today at (256) 716-9940 to learn about the high quality of our in-home care services.

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