Exercise for Orthopaedic Health as Seniors

As you know, exercise is important to maintain good health, including the health of your muscles, joints and bones.

Of course, the type and intensity of exercise that’s right for you changes over time. We all have different physical capabilities and age can prevent us from doing the same types of exercise we did in our youth.

Whether you’re rehabbing after surgery, seeking to avoid surgery like total knee or shoulder replacement, or simply like the feeling of staying active, here are the main elements of a well-rounded exercise program:

1 – Stay Flexible

Yoga and similar stretching activities help to keep your joints working properly and maintain a full range of motion. Disuse will often result in the need for partial or total joint replacement.

Think of your joints and muscles like the parts of a car. If you leave it parked for years without using it, you won’t rack up the miles on the engine, but the oil won’t be able to protect the mechanisms, which means the engine will eventually rust and stop working.

Your joints need motion in order to continue working properly, so stretching can really help to maintain their functionality.

2 – Cardio Training

While cardio training obviously helps heart health, it has universal benefits since it helps maintain a healthy weight. A healthy body weight leads to less stress on the rest of your body, as almost every joint and bone can be affected by excess weight.

So, get out for a nice half hour walk or go for a jog once a day to get your blood flowing and your joints working. You will find that you feel better at rest when you have a bit of cardio activity in your daily routine.

3 – Working Your Muscles

Strength exercising helps more than just your muscles. Working your body in this way affects your bone and joint health as well. While neither bones nor joints gain strength in quite the same way as our muscles, they do require use to remain strong or to increase in strength.

So, lifting some free-weights or trying resistance bands can improve the longevity of your orthopaedic wellness. Try some exercises for yourself to find the ones that suit you, and remember to exercise different areas of the body, as opposed to focusing on only one area.