If you set a resolution for yourself in January to work out more in 2022, hopefully you’re continuing to stay with it! Don’t lose sight of the goals you have set for yourself. Adding extra physical activity to your daily tasks is one commitment we ought to all be implementing. And a regular workout routine for seniors, many of whom take a number of medications for a number of health conditions, is particularly important.
Research is revealing that, remarkably, physician-approved exercise for seniors can be as helpful as commonly-prescribed medications in preventing or treating many of the leading causes of death. In one study, researchers compared and contrasted the benefits of exercise vs. medication. The results consistently demonstrated that both medicines and exercise shared nearly the same results in reducing deaths in people who had previously been identified as having a variety of prevalent and severe health problems, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
For instance, the study found that individuals with heart disease who exercised but didn’t take commonly-prescribed medications, such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, statins, or antiplatelet drugs, had an equivalent risk of dying from — or surviving — cardiovascular disease as people who were taking those medications.
Analysts also outlined how infrequently health care professionals “prescribe” exercise as an effective medical treatment. Huseyin Naci, a graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, along with Dr. John Ioannidis, director of the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the Stanford University School of Medicine, worked jointly on the study, determining that, according to Naci, “We are not suggesting that anyone stop taking their medications. But maybe people could think long and hard about their lifestyles and talk to their doctors about whether exercise could and should be incorporated into their care.”
At Carolina Hearts Home Care, we love helping older adults stay as active as they possibly can, while achieving the best possible quality of life. As the most trusted provider of senior care in Hamlet and surrounding areas, we are happy to offer transportation and accompaniment to exercise classes as well as companionship to encourage, motivate, and make exercise fun. Our care professionals also provide many other home care services that are carefully personalized to meet each person’s unique health and fitness goals.
Reach out to Carolina Hearts Home Care at 1-855-277-2005 to learn more about options for senior care in Hamlet and the surrounding areas, including how we can help improve the overall health and wellness for a senior you love! Whether you’re looking for only a couple of hours of support each week, overnight care, 24-hour care, or anything in between, a perfectly matched care provider can provide the right amount of care to help a senior you love thrive in the comfort of home.
