More Life Health Blog - Discussing Seniors' Exercise, Health, Fitness, & More!
Beginner Vestibular Exercises | Exercises for Dizziness, Vertigo and Motion Sensitivity
Beginner vestibular exercises that can help you manage symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, and motion sensitivity. By practising these exercises, you can enhance your balance and reduce feelings of disorientation. You can easily perform these exercises in the comfort of your own home.
simple Vestibular Exercises
The vestibular system is a part of our inner ear that helps us stay balanced and know where our body is in relation to the space around us.
It is responsible for detecting and processing information about head movements and changes in body position.
As we age, it is not uncommon to experience symptoms of dizziness (lightheadedness and unsteadiness), vertigo (a sensation of spinning or whirling), motion sensitivity (motion sickness) and balance problems.
These are all vestibular symptoms and can significantly impact daily activities and quality of life.
Fortunately, there are proven strategies to reduce these symptoms, including vestibular exercises.
For more on the vestibular system, check out this article here
In today's video, we go through exercises for the vestibular system. These slower-paced vestibular rehabilitation exercises are perfect for seniors, and can be used to relieve symptoms associated with vestibular dysfunction, that being dizziness, vertigo and motion sensitivity.
Always make sure you see your doctor or Vestibular Physiotherapist before undertaking these exercises.
Results are usually seen around 2-6 weeks. Stay consistent and gradually progress the exercises.
To get moving with me, click the video below.
Remember, consistency and progression with exercise is key!
Stay moving! and I’ll see you soon!
- Mike
15 Minute Exercises for Seniors with Physiotherapist - At Home Exercises
15 minutes of the best simple exercises for seniors that you can do daily to ensure you can feel the results with other activities of your daily life.
15 MINUTE EXERCISES FOR SENIORS
In today's video, we go through important exercises to do in an exercise session to ensure you notice the benefits in your daily life.
I did my best to limit it to 15 minutes, so that on those days you may not feel like exercising, you can get the benefits by spending just a short amount of time each day. What's 15 minutes in the 1440 minutes of the day? :)
As with all my workouts, this may be the perfect workout for someone based on their current capabilities. For others, it may be too challenging, and for others, maybe it's too easy…… Remember, if an exercise is too difficult, you can modify it to your capabilities. If it is too easy, you can do a more challenging variation.
Along with your specific exercises, I recommend you get outside walking to supplement your weekly exercises. Vary your walks (within your capabilities) to challenge yourself and to work different muscles.
For example, vary your speed - try to increase your pace a little on some walks and work on sustaining this pace for longer each week. Vary the terrain you walk on - walk on the flat, walk uphill, walk downhill, walk upstairs.. And walk on different surfaces (for example, sand vs grass). By doing this you will work different muscles, and it will help improve other areas of your fitness.
Remember, like you do with exercise, build up your walking over time, and if you were previously walking a lot and you’ve had a prolonged break from it, start with less than what you were doing previously when you get back to it. You want to ensure your body adapts to avoid any issues.. and, most importantly, enjoy your walks :) .... and your exercises.
To get moving with me, click the video below.
Remember, consistency and progression with exercise is key!
Stay moving! and I’ll see you soon!
- Mike
How Heavy Should Weights be For Seniors? (Strength Training)
You have most probably heard me say before that sooner or later it’s a good idea to add in resistance to your exercises in some form (whether weights or a resistance band). This is so you continue to challenge yourself and get further strength gains. When you’re stronger, you’re going to notice a big difference.
A question I often get asked is “how heavy should my weights be?”
This is a question I cannot give a direct answer to. Everyone has different capabilities, however, this is what you should do:
Choosing the right weights for strength training
You have most probably heard me say before that sooner or later it’s a good idea to add in resistance to your exercises in some form (whether weights or a resistance band). This is so you continue to challenge yourself and get further strength gains. When you’re stronger, you’re going to notice a big difference.
A question I often get asked is “how heavy should my weights be?”
This is a question I cannot give a direct answer to. Everyone has different capabilities, however, this is what you should do:
Step 1 - Practice First
Once you’re ready to begin using weights, choose a light weight to begin with. A weight that you can still do the exercises with no trouble. Say 1kg. If you don’t have weights, you can also use cans of food to begin with, or water bottles.
Don’t rush this. This is so you can practice the exercise with using weights, which will ensure you avoid any injuries and get the most out of your exercise.
Do this whenever completing a new exercise with weights for the first time.
Only when you feel you are doing the exercise correctly is it time to increase the weight.
Step 2 - Find Your Sweet Spot
Now you've got the exercise down, choose a weight that when completing the exercises it challenges you, yet you are still completing the exercises with correct exercise technique.
You want to feel your muscles being worked.
If you feel it is too easy, that’s ok, continue the workout and next time increase the weight a little. Note this down if you need to.
If you feel you are not able to lift the weight or are losing the correct exercise technique the weight is too heavy, put the weight down. Lower the weight.
For some exercises, you will find the weight too easy, for others too heavy. So you'll most probably be using different weights for different exercises.
This is why I recommend a weight set.
Step 3 - Stay Consistent and Progress
By doing the above (step 2) consistently AND ensuring you’re eating adequately, you WILL get stronger, you WILL get fitter.. It’s going to happen. 💪
So now it’s time for you to increase the resistance you’re using.
Use a slightly heavier weight, or a different loop on the resistance band, or double up your band. Or, use a thicker resistance band. If you’re using a resistance machine, you can increase it up a notch. Follow again as per step 2.
This is what I'd do (or any trainer would do) If training you. Working out your safe starting strength and over time increasing the resistance (or progressing the exercises in other ways).
And this is how you do it yourself. 🙂
For more on this you can check out my comprehensive article on strength training here: The Strong Senior
If you have any questions, ask them below (Many questions are answered in the article above)! 👇