Many things happen when our bodies don’t move. We start to disintegrate and fall apart. Sometime in life obstacles keep us from moving. It’s important to get the okay from the doctor before we exercise. But there are things everyone can do to be more fit.

Anyone can do this part of the wellness wheel and have success. There are so many benefits of exercise for all of these conditions.

Remember, before starting ANY kind of exercise, consult with your doctor to make sure they recommend it.

Cardio for people with bad knees

If your knees are shot, it’s hard to get in a good burn, but there are some exercises that will support your fitness goals without further damaging your knees. The number one exercise is swimming. There is no impact on the joints in swimming, so it’s a great choice for bad knees. The elliptical is better than the treadmill for knee troubles. Rowing and cycling are good low-impact cardio exercises. Pilates is also a great choice for people with bad knees.

Exercises for obese people

People who are obese or morbidly obese can benefit greatly from exercise. No one is to fat to work out or too overweight to gain benefits from it. I am overweight myself. But I keep moving and I always feel better when I do. The key is, to start slowly, listen to your body, and don’t give up.

Some great exercises to start with for obese people include, walking, swimming, stationary bike, light weights and work your way up, stretching, and resistance exercises. A personal trainer would be able to help you find what you can do to start with and give you a plan to work up from there.
At our gym, we offer an orientation to show you how to start and we set clients up on a program for just $25. This little investment can help you start with a good plan and build a routine that works for you. You can get this service without a personal trainer fee, and you probably can at most gyms. There are also tons of great DVDs and youTube videos to watch for beginners.

Exercises for people with herniated discs

Gentle activities for people with herniated discs that have permission from a doctor to exercise include swimming, stationary bikes, and walking. Yoga can be helpful as well if done carefully and modified for the injury. Stretching is beneficial. Exercises to avoid are intense exercises and high-impact exercises.

Exercises for wheelchair bound people

Dumbbell exercises are great for wheelchair-bound people. Shoulder retractions, chest squeeze, and chest press are good as well. Swimming with a life vest would be beneficial. Knee lifts and toe taps are great if you are able. Side bed stretch and sitting crunches are great as well.

Exercises for people with limited mobility

In addition to the exercises listed above, other limited mobility exercises include Yoga and pilates, rowing if you are able, suspension training, and tai chi.

Exercises for people with cerebral palsey

People with cerebral palsey will benefit greatly from working out in the pool. Gaining resistance from therabands would be great. Floor exercises such as range of motion and stretching, weight resistance exercises, aerobics, cycling, and ball exercises are great as well.

Exercises for people with auto immune disorders

If you have an autoimmune disorder, it’s important to pace yourself when exercising and use moderation. Yoga and pilates are great for people with these conditions. Tai Chi, light weights, and stretching are good as well. Resistance training builds strength in your body as well.

Water exercises such as water aerobics and swimming are very beneficial as well as water walking. People with autoimmune disorders would also benefit greatly from walking, especially in nature. And of course, a lot of stretching.

Exercises for elderly people

Elderly people benefit immensely from movement. They can build strength and endurance, improve balance, and cognitive skills by moving more. Some great exercises for elderly people include weight training, low impact aerobics, water exercises, stretching, therabands, and other resistance training, nature walking and walking in general, and bodyweight movements. In addition, stability balls offer a ton of benefits when used by elderly people.

Exercises for people with heart disease

Everyday habits can have an impact on developing heart disease. Risk factors like high cholesterol, smoking, family history, stress, an unhealthy diet, and lack of activity can take a toll on your health. The great news is it is preventable. Regular activity and a good diet can help reverse many of the negative things we put our bodies through.

Start slowly and listen to your body. Work up from just a few minutes a day of light cardio to a variety of exercises such as therabands, dumbbells, and more. You will build strength over time, so don’t give up.

Exercises for people with broken bones

Depending on where the bone is located, it may not be safe or impede the healing process. Many exercises can be modified to have benefits. Increasing blood flow helps in healing and get nutrients to those bones to rebuild themselves. They can also keep the joints from getting stiff and reducing range of motion.

Exercises for people who have had surgery

I recently had a hernia surgery. It was the scariest and most painful thing I have ever been through. I didn’t want to move at all. The doctor told me to get moving to help with recovery. Once I started moving around, although at first, it was excruciating, I did feel much better. I started out with a few steps or minutes of standing and slowly built up distance and time.

The doctor gave me post-surgery restrictions of not lifting much weight or doing things that would cause strain, but my recovery would have been much slower if I didn’t carefully move. This is how I know that exercises for people with obstacles are super important.

Exercises for people with mental illness

Mental illness is not an obstacle to movement, but it is important to talk about the effects working out has on it. Many mental illnesses can be improved dramatically through exercise. Movement rids your body of so many unwanted chemicals and stress. So if you are struggling with your mental health, talk to a doctor and get moving.

Basic weight training, walking on nature trails, swimming, neighborhood jobs, and gardening and yard work can do wonders for your mental health. Along with a good diet of fresh fruits and vegetables that limits processed foods.

Exercises for people with arthritis

I teach arthritis exercise classes and I know that arthritis is very painful. We focus on range of motion and bodyweight exercises with light cardio. The members to enjoy the class always remark about how much better they feel after joining. They have better balance and have improved strength and endurance. It’s a blessing to feel better and that’s what I want to give all my students as well as help everyone feel. If you are struggling with arthritic knees and hips, check this out too!

Exercises for people who are pregnant

It’s important to be active during pregnancy. There are lots of complications that can happen if you don’t take care of yourself. Increased weight gain, stiffness, diabetes, and more. You don’t have to exercise like crazy, but you need to stay active and you should be as active as you were before.

Don’t work out like a nut if you were sedentary before pregnancy and don’t lay on the couch if you were active before. Slow and steady exercise is best. Walking, stretching, and light weights are great ways to keep joints flexible and help control blood sugar and blood pressure as well as help you control your weight.

As with anyone, consult a doctor before you do any exercises. And listen closely to your body.

Types of exercise you may want to try are aerobics, large muscle groups, stationary cycling, swimming, walking, and yoga. But remember to avoid laying on your back. Exercising during pregnancy will help increase your energy, reduce stress, improve sleep and help you recover faster after delivery.

Exercises for people with diabetes

Physical activity helps control blood sugar. A single session of moderate exercise can increase the uptake of glucose by 40% or more in individuals with insulin resistance. Being physically active makes cells more sensitive to insulin for at least 16 hours. So it may help you use less medication. Talk to your doctor before starting exercise. Start slow and rest when you’re tired. Keep an eye on your feet and look for bruises or irritation.

Exercises for people with stroke or paralysis

I have worked with people who were victims of stroke or had paralysis of some kind. It’s so encouraging to see a person who has this keep moving and not give up. Many times that person can regain some movement from being active and sometimes they can regain a lot.

Exercises can be modified to benefit people with paralysis. I would recommend talking to a physical therapist to get an idea of what movements you should be doing. You can also sign up with a personal trainer who has experience with stroke victims to get help with exercises for people with obstacles.

The stationary bike, therabands, light dumbbells, upper body bikes, and various types of weight machines can help. Get a professional to help you learn to use them. It’s important to start slow and use trial and error but don’t give up.

So you can see that exercises for people with obstacles are not that hard to find. You can still do something to improve the quality of your life and further your fitness journey! And don’t forget these free workouts for obese beginners too!

Make sure to set fitness goals to keep leveling up your fitness!

• Long term fitness goals
• Short term fitness goals

The post Exercises for People with Obstacles appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

Fitness for life

It’s never too late to make huge gains in your fitness journey. No matter how old you are, every wedge of the wellness wheel matters. You’re never too old to get more fit. There’s no excuse not to work out.

Remember, before starting ANY kind of exercise, consult with your doctor to make sure they recommend it.

It’s so cool to see a new client who has difficulty with balance, strength, endurance, and/or range of motion. After a short while, they make such improvements in one of these areas. It starts to click, and they feel so much stronger. It puts an extra pep in their step.

Follow the instructions for each exercise below, doing twelve repetitions of each one, and you’ll have a great beginning all-over body workout to start your wellness journey on the right track. Once you master them, go back and repeat the whole routine a second time until you build up to doing it three times. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.

For a printable download to help you stay mobile and independent, check out this mini-ebook for Chair Exercises at Home for Seniors on Etsy.

Leg strengthening exercises for the elderly

Squats are the best overall leg exercise you can do at any age. They are really beneficial for elderly people. Remember, each exercise, do twelve repetitions before you move on to the next one.

• Keep your back straight and slightly arched.
• Do not allow your knees to move too far forward.
• Control movement, don’t bounce or jerk.
• Use a chair or bench to sit on to begin with and then slowly stand up.
• Stand upright with your arms crossed in front of you or by your sides.
• Squat slowly until your buttocks just touch the chair, but do not sit.
• Slowly lift and return to the standing position.

Arm exercises for elderly

Arm circles are a great way to build muscle in the arms using your own body weight. They build up your shoulder strength as well.

• Stand with your arms extended out on each side.
• Circle your arms in the full range of motion clockwise one full rotation.
• Cirlce your arms in the full range of motion counter clockwise one full rotation.
• Repeat this 11 more sets.

Balance exercises for elderly

Balance is a precious commodity at any age and as we age we begin to lose it unless we continue to build it. This single-leg balance exercise will make great improvements in your balance and give you a better quality of life. Remember to do 12 repetitions of it.

• Stand by a solid chair and use it to steady yourself.
• Lift up your right foot and balance your weight on your left foot, trying not to hold onto the chair but use it if you need to.
• Hold that position as long as you can, with a goal of one minute.
• Switch and place your right foot on the ground and lift up your left foot, attempting to do one minute.

Strength exercises for elderly

These wall-ups will help you build core and arm strength, two of the most underdeveloped areas for elderly people. I am excited to think about all of the improvements you’re going to make in your health by doing this routine. I’m super excited to hear all about it.

• Stand an arm’s length from a sturdy wall with your feet shoulder width apart under your hips.
• Place your palms on the wall, shoulder width apart at shoulder height.
• Bend your elbows and bring your chest to the wall.
• Press back slowly to starting position.
• Repeat for 12 sets.

Check out resistance band exercises for even more strength building.

Chair exercises for elderly

Seated leg lifts will give you a great leg and core workout from a chair. Do not use your hands to pull yourself up. Only use your hands for balance. It’s important that you use your abdominal muscles to pull yourself up and lower yourself. If you can’t lift both feet, try starting out with one at a time. Remember to do 12 repetitions.

• Sit on the edge of your chair, hands holding on to the chair.
• Bend your legs with your feet together on the floor.
• Lean back, keeping your back straight, and bring your knees up to your chest.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Bed exercises for elderly

Even if you have to work out from your bed, you can still improve your fitness with these pelvic lifts. Do not arch your back. Raise only until your back is straight. Use slow and controlled motions.

• Lie on your back on your bed (or on the floor)
• Bend your knees and put your feet slightly apart.
• Extend your arms over your head.
• Slowly lift your pelvis up towards the ceiling and squeeze your buttocks together.
• Lift your pelvis as high as you are able.
• Slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

I can’t wait to hear all about how your strength and endurance improve from doing this workout and even your cognitive function. I know you can do it!

• For more exercises for people with obstacles, click here.
• For more arthritis exercises click here.
• If you are struggling with arthritic knees and hips, check this out too!
• For back strengthening exercises for seniors, check this out.
• Beginner Stretches
• Fit Over 50, Older Adult Wellness

The post Exercises for Elderly appeared first on Actionable Wellness.