THE BENEFITS OF KEEPING ACTIVE & WHY IT'S KEY

 

So your're following a serious nutrional to increase you cognative capacity and you may have found a few ways to spice up the food to your own taste buds, thats great. Now we have to encourage everyone to get active with us as all older people can benefit from additional Physical/Mental/Emotional/Passive activity. Regular exercise prevents chronic disease, improves mood and lowers chances of injury. With age, the body does take a little longer to heal, but moderate and scheduled activities is good for people of all ages and ability levels. Many medical conditions are improved with exercise, including Alzheimer's and forms of dementia, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

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CHEST STRETCH

This stretch is good for posture.

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• Sit upright and away from the back of the chair. Pull your shoulders back and down. Extend arms out to the side.

• Gently push your chest forwards and up until you feel a stretch across your chest. Hold for five to 10 seconds and repeat five times.

• Hold for five to 10 seconds and repeat five times.

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UPPER BODY TWIST

This will develop and maintain flexibility in the upper back.

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• Sit upright with feet flat on the floor, cross your arms and reach for your shoulders.

• Without moving your hips, turn your upper body to the left as far as is comfortable. Hold for five seconds. Repeat going right. Do five of each.

• Hold for five seconds. Repeat going right. Do five of each.

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HIP MARCHING

This will strengthen hips and thighs and improve flexibility

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• Sit upright and away from the back of the chair. Hold on to the sides of the chair.

• Lift your left leg, with your knee bent, as far as is comfortable. Place foot down with control.

• Repeat with the opposite leg. Do five lifts with each leg.

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ANKLE STRETCH

This will improve ankle flexibility and reduce blood clot risk.

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• Sit upright, hold on to the side of the chair and straighten your left leg with your foot off the floor

• With leg straight and raised, point your toes away from you.

• Try two sets of five stretches with each foot.

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ARM RAISES

This builds shoulder strength.

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• Sit upright, arms by your sides.

• With palms forwards, raise both arms out and to the side and up as far as is comfortable. Then return.

• Keep your shoulders down and arms straight throughout

• Breathe out as you raise your arms and breathe in as you lower them. Repeat five times.

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NECK ROTATION

This stretch is good for improving neck mobility and flexibility

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• Sit upright with shoulders down. Look straight ahead.

• Slowly turn your head towards your left shoulder as far as is comfortable. Hold for five seconds and return to starting position.

• Repeat going right.

• Do three rotations on each side.

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NECK STRETCH

This stretch is good for loosening tight neck muscles.

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• Sitting upright, look straight ahead and hold your left shoulder down with your right hand

• Slowly tilt your head to the right while holding your shoulder down. Repeat on the opposite side.

• Hold each stretch for five seconds and repeat three times on each side.

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SIDE WAYS BEND

This stretch is good for posture.

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• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides

• Slide your left arm down your side as far as is comfortable. As you lower your arm, you should feel a stretch on the opposite hip

• Repeat with your right arm down your right side & Hold each stretch for two seconds and perform three on each side.

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CALF STRETCH

This will develop and maintain flexibility in the upper back.

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• Place your hands against a wall for stability. Bend the right leg and step the left leg back at least a foot’s distance, keeping it straight. Both feet should be flat on the floor.

• The left calf muscle is stretched by keeping the left leg as straight as possible and the left heel on the floor.

• Repeat with the opposite leg and perform three on each side.

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