The onset of the pandemic in 2020 necessitated changes to our habits in order to stay safe. Whether it was working from home or having meals and groceries delivered, many people had to turn their world inward to keep safe from COVID-19.
And today, while we have vaccines and know more about treatments and safety measures, for many people, some of those new habits became ingrained and have continued.
As such, there’s been a spike in inactivity among older adults, leading many seniors to have new health concerns or an increase in falling as a result.
The changes have manifested in several ways – in some cases it’s been obvious causes like the closures of gyms or activity centers where older adults may have been working on their fitness.
But it’s also happened in other small ways: fewer occasions walking a few blocks to meet a friend at a restaurant, less time spent going up and down the aisles of the grocery store and not having as many opportunities to play with grandchildren.
The New York Times wrote about the issue of inactivity among older adults on February 5, writing:
“Declines in physical function are showing up in older Americans, too. A University of Michigan team surveyed about 2,000 American adults aged 50 to 80 in early 2021, asking about their activity levels (but not about their Covid status).
It found that almost 40 percent of those over 65 reported both reduced physical activity and less daily time spent on their feet since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. In this representative national sample, those factors were associated with worsened physical conditioning and mobility.”
Even though many gyms and activity centers have re-opened, and much of day-to-day life is returning to normal, many older adults are still lacking activity.
Whether it’s fear of contracting the virus or simply being in the habit of not partaking in those activities anymore, that loss of physical activity can cause or exacerbate health issues, and lead to a greater risk of falling among older adults.
Getting Back on Track With Ageless Grace®
Ageless Grace® is the perfect way to rebuild fitness habits, while benefiting cognitive strength at the same time.
All of the exercises are done while seated, so if it’s been a while since you’ve done cardio work, there’s no running or walking involved. But the exercise tools that comprise Ageless Grace® still provide a great workout, particularly strengthening the core. The cognitive element comes in to play since being seated requires participants to think differently about how to perform some of the movements.
All told, it’s the perfect way for older adults to ease back into a fitness routine.
For more about Ageless Grace® or our other fitness programming, contact the community nearest you to learn more and to schedule a tour.