For seniors, exercises are most rewarding and important as when our energy does not flow it it just stagnates and illness develops –Â and we tend to be less active in older age.
That’s an easy image and concept to understand, similar to ‘rolling stones gather no moss’.
And it’s very true for all forms of energy.
Keeping energy flowing is the key.
So, in the light of that concept, which are the exercises that bring most benefits to seniors?
What do seniors tend to suffer from most?
One tends to get stressed more easily as age advances and stress, as I have read and experienced, is the root of most psycho-physical illnesses (which most illnesses are).
The trouble is, as we advance in age we gather habits (our body, mind and emotions)
that become more and more engrained.
These are the exercises I have found to be the most beneficial for baby boomers.
1 – Slow Stretching to help the body release the pent-up tensions from the muscles.
2 – Shaking and Breathing from head to toes, a stress reduction technique that allows us to start getting our body energy more fluid and that releases our breath from its usual pattern that generally keeps us stiff both physically and mentally (Sorry – but this is usually so!).
For sure, movements that include deep breathing help release accumulated tensions, including piled-up emotions stored in our bodily system and never properly faced, whether they be old or new ones.
3 – Some form of Exercise of Chinese Origin, I’d say some easy Qigong exercise program for beginners. Actually, although labelled ‘easy’, qigong exercises are very beneficial and by picking just one program and doing it regularly, one would greatly benefit from it in terms of prevention and possible cure of illness, even chronic illness.
4 – Tai Chi for Seniors, easy tai chi as just learning and practising the movements that bring best results is wonderful for balance and this is also most relaxing.
5 – Some Relaxation Method, whether static (either lying down or sitting) or in movement as in taichi and gigong, where the effects are greatly helped by conscious practice.
6 – Walking, in nature if possible, is an easy, mindless, undemanding exercise that both enables our vital energy to flow and can provide a time for letting our mind be free to dream or wander and let ourselves be inspired.
I personally have benefited greatly from my daily walk, coming back refreshed and ready to get to the task at hand with renewed inspiration and enjoyment.
Some added benefits
– Helping cure heart disease through deep, slow breathing – if we choose the right exercises, which could be of Chinese origin, as mentioned above, renowned for being holistic and using simple abilities we all have, such as breathing, easy movements, concentration and often visualisation.
– Developing concentration – yes, I have mentioned concentration as an attribute we all have, which is developed by everyday practice and which greatly helps memory as a natural consequence.
A program that will embrace all these best and easy exercises for seniors will bring longevity and enjoyment of life, not just a longer life of suffering! So our body systems slow down, we know how to relax more and therefore take heed of what is happening in our being and thus we are then able to take better care of our overall well-being.
To provide a means to generate well-being from within, Francoise Bonhoure, a qualified Seniors Exercise teacher (for Over and Under 50’s!), has created a comprehensive beginner exercise program.
By joining the membership for our ezine you’ll have access to free exercise videos and audios
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