Caregivers in Broadripple, IN – February is American Heart Month: Get Moving for Better Heart Health

Running around, going to the store, taking your loved one to doctor’s appointments, and much more can all be taxing on a person’s life. As a caregiver, depending on what other things you have going on you might not feel as though you have the time to devote to working out and staying in shape.

Exercise is absolutely essential no matter how old you are. February is American Heart Month and though we don’t often consciously think about the correlation between getting physical exercise and heart health, the two are intimately intertwined.

There are many ways to get quality exercise that don’t require visiting a gym and paying expensive membership fees. Below are a few ideas that could help keep yourself in great physical condition and also promote positive heart health for yourself (and it may actually benefit your senior loved one, too).

Running up and down stairs.

You may actually find yourself having to go up and down stairs several times throughout the day. It could be going down to the basement to do laundry for the senior, heading to the store where there is no elevator or escalator, or even going up medical buildings one floor at a time.

It’s so tempting to just press the button and take the elevator, but if you take the stairs instead and make that an opportunity to get quality exercise, just a few minutes at a time several times a day could give you some positive physical exercise.

Jogging.

If you wake up 15 minutes early in the morning you could get a quality jog in before you shower and get ready for the day. That could have tremendous benefits for your health and well-being.

Exercising while you sit.

You can pick up 2 pound, 5 pound, or even 10 pound small weights or even wrist weights and use these as a means to get exercise even while you’re sitting down. Move your arms while reading a book, watching TV, or doing any other similar type of activity where you are relatively sedentary and it doesn’t require a great deal of concentration.

Any opportunity that you have to move your arms or legs is going to benefit your overall heart health.

Exercise with your elderly loved one.

For most people, regardless of age, exercise is highly recommended by doctors. If the elderly individual for whom you are a caregiver has been directed by his or her doctor to get exercise, this could be an opportunity to also get exercise for yourself while assisting them in this process.

The more exercise you get, the better it’s going to be for your overall health, especially your heart.

The caregivers at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs. Great Care is an elder care agency providing quality and affordable caregivers in Broadripple, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.