Why walking works for older people
Is walking even an exercise? Of course it is and what’s more, it keeps older people fit without the hazards of high impact exercise and it’s completely free
Research shows:
Older people who get about by walking are less likely to suffer mental decline, or even dementia. Brain scans revealed that older people walking between six and nine miles a week appeared to have more brain tissue in key areas
Older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise programme
Walking helps with back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, varicose veins, reducing cholesterol and other medical problems where inactivity is a factor
The many benefits of your ageing parent walking?
Walking is easiest long term exercise: they only need a good pair of shoes
Even short ten minute walks are a good start and better than sitting in all day
Walking helps psychologically by improving mood and increasing a person’s sense of well-being through release of endorphins
- It does not cost anything
- It encourages mobility, which reduces the risks of falls
- It improves heart health and blood pressure
- It burns calories and increases metabolism
- It increases cardiovascular conditioning and improves muscle tone and strength
How to encourage your older parent to start walking for exercise
- Map out some local walks from their home for your parent to follow using local maps, or even initially by driving the routes
- Find local walking groups via the local authority, the library or local charities, or look on-line for local organised walking groups. www.ramblers.org.uk have a local group finder
- Encourage your parent to start their own walking group once or twice a week, where they plan ahead and walk to different locations from home or as a day out
- A regular early morning walk with others is a great way to lift their moodand give them something to get out of bed for
- Walk and coffee. Encourage them to plan a route which ends with coffee and cake at a café or someone’s house, so it becomes more of an event
- Walking with them…all round this is much better for both of you, rather than just popping in for a home visit
Walkies! With a dog
There are numerous benefits gained from walking a dog once a day
- Dogs are always eager to go for a walk, so there will be no excuse but to take them out
- Walking a dog is much more fun than walking alone and dogs are great stress relievers too, which can help keep your parent happy
- Even walking in the rain is fun with a dog. Just make sure your parent has good boots and waterproof clothing
- If your parent does not have a dog of their own, maybe they can offer to walk a neighbour’s, or walk with dog owning friends
