One of the best things about moving into a senior living home is the variety of things (and people) to which you'll be exposed. By the end of your first day in your new environment, you'll ideally have met several fellow residents who will soon become close friends. In the days that follow, you'll have a chance to explore a number of other pursuits that can augment your quality of life and quickly make you feel comfortable in your new environment.

One area of opportunity that you may enjoy is fitness—keeping active is vital as you age, and your senior living home will offer several opportunities for doing so. Here are some fitness activities that you may enjoy exploring.

Chair Yoga

Yoga has a number of benefits for elderly people, including helping to promote flexibility, relieve tight muscles, and even reduce stress. Unfortunately, many people with mobility challenges may have trouble sitting on lying on the floor, and then getting back up.

The simple solution is chair yoga, which is offered in many senior living environments. In this variation of yoga, you're seated in a chair, but can still perform a variety of poses. You'll likely find that your chair yoga session provides a good workout, while also giving you the enjoyment of trying something new.

Aquatic Fitness

Some senior living centers have pools, while others will arrange transportation to a local aquatic center on a regular schedule. Even if you're not up for swimming, you might enjoy some form of aquatic fitness as a new way to keep active as you age.

You and your senior living peers will enjoy activities such as standing in the shallow end and using various flotation devices and aquatic exercise devices to move. The water adds resistance, so you'll get some benefits for your muscles, while the up-tempo nature of the class provides a cardio workout.

Pedaling

You might enjoy riding a bicycle, but if that's no longer an interest for you, you can get a similar workout in your senior living home's fitness room. Many such rooms are equipped with several aerobic exercise machines, including mini pedal machines. This machine, which essentially consists of a pair of bicycle-style pedals, can be placed on the floor below your chair. You sit up straight, place your feet on the pedals, and pedal for your desired duration. You can even adjust the resistance to increase the challenge of the workout.

To learn more about these and other fitness options, contact local senior living centers like Sharon Care Center.

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