Breathing is an essential function of your senior loved one’s life, affecting his or her mood, stamina, heart health, and sleep quality. Aging adults who do not breathe deeply may experience stiffness, muscle weakness, and poor oxygen supply. Here are some of the best breathing techniques seniors can do to boost their heart and brain health.
Rib Lifting
To complete this exercise, your loved one needs to stand with arms crossed at the wrists, in front of his or her waist. As your loved one raises the arms over his or her head, he or she needs to breathe. Your loved one should continue relaxing and breathing out, lowering the arms each time, then repeat this step at least 10 times. The rhythm formed by breathing creates electrical activity in the part of the brain where memories, emotions, and smells are processed. Rib lifting also increases blood oxygen levels and lowers blood pressure and cardiac output.
Doing breathing exercises is one of the many ways seniors can boost their health and wellbeing. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional home care. Roseville, California, Home Care Assistance is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Planking
Planking clears the mind and relieves stress, which is great for the heart. While facing down, your loved one needs to keep his or her body in a straight line while using the toes and forearms to rise. Your loved one’s neck and head should remain in a neutral position, and his or her legs should be extended out and behind. He or she needs to hold this position for a few seconds, then repeat. Planking boosts mental clarity, gives the body a full workout, and increases the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Yoga
Yoga is a therapeutic breathing exercise that can help seniors lower their blood pressure levels and prevent strokes, heart attacks, and other serious health issues. The techniques used in yoga focus on breathing and help seniors meditate. Performing yoga can decrease inflammation in your loved one’s brain, allowing it to function normally and reduce the risk of memory loss and other cognitive issues. As your loved one does the breathing techniques and yoga movements, he or she is building cardiovascular health, boosting respiratory function and heart rate, building muscle, and increasing lung capacity.
From performing yoga to managing daily tasks, seniors may need help with a variety of activities. Some seniors need occasional assistance at home, and oftentimes the family members who take care of them need time away to run errands, take a nap, go to work, or take a vacation. Roseville, California, respite care experts from Home Care Assistance are available on an as-needed basis, giving your family peace of mind that your loved one will remain safe and comfortable while you relax or focus on other important responsibilities.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
This exercise involves sitting on a comfortable chair, placing the right hand on the chest and the left hand on the stomach, then holding a breath and releasing it repeatedly. Diaphragmatic breathing may push your loved one into a state of flow where his or her brain activity is stimulated significantly. The electrical impulses increase and provide the brain with an energy rush, and the brain begins to feel active and stimulated. The chest breathing that takes place as your loved one uses the upper lobes of his or her lungs may lower the heart rate, relieve stress, increase circulation, and support detoxification.
Engaging in breathing exercises can help seniors boost their health and manage the symptoms of a serious medical condition. If your senior loved one needs help managing an illness or assistance with daily tasks, make sure you choose a top-rated home care agency. Roseville Home Care Assistance is here to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life in the golden years. From the mentally stimulating activities in our Cognitive Therapeutics Method to our friendly Care Managers who are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, we offer a wide array of high-quality at-home care services. To learn about our high-quality home care services, call us at 916.226.3737 today.