An excellent and alternative way to improve and reduce challenging behaviors with dementia is exercise. Most importantly, find safe and enjoyable exercises for each person’s specific level ability.
It is never to late to staying active, and doing so helps improve strength, circulation and sleep. Not only is exercising a great way to improve your mood and self-esteem, it can also reduce pain. Here are a few helpful tips, benefits and ideas to ensure your loved one gets up and moving.
- Walking!- Its free and can be done any where, any time! Walking around the house, the yard or even the park is a great form of exercise. Being out there just walking and smelling the fresh are can improve your overall mood.
- Stretching –You may lay down on the bed or even a couch and stretch. Moving different parts of your body can help ease pain and make you more flexible.
- Sitting with no support – Can help strengthen your core and back. This exercise should be done with constant supervision to avoid and prevent falls
- Sitting and standing exercises – Strengthens your muscles for essential and every day actives.
- Dancing! – We all have that inner dancer in us and well this activity really doesn’t feel like an exercise and is a fun activity.
- Water exercises – With this warm weather, taking a trip to your local pool does not sound like a bad idea, and exercises in the water are much more pleasant.
Remember that every one is different and so are each person’s health, personalities and cognitive abilities so it may take some experimenting to find what best suits your loved one. Although exercising is helpful in many ways, your top priority should always be safety.