Let your children celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day on May 31st with your aging parent this year. As your mom or dad ages and loses mobility, your children may be uncertain how to spend time with their grandparent. Exercise is a great way for a grandparent and child to spend quality time together. Here are some easy exercise ideas your kids can do with their grandparent.
Talk a Nature Walk
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for an aging parent. Turn it into a nature walk with kids finding items and then asking your parent what it is. Turn it into a scavenger hunt by looking for certain birds, finding specific flowers or plants, or even looking for rocks shaped like other items.
Workout in a Garden
Gardening can challenge aging adults, especially as kneeling and bending become problematic. Your parent can direct the child to tasks that need doing. Harvesting crops is always a fun activity for children. Walking around the garden and doing some gentle bending and stretching provides the workout.
Perform Chair Yoga Together
Chair yoga is an excellent fitness program for seniors with limited mobility. Yoga poses and movements are performed from the safety of a chair. Your kids can get up and do the yoga from a standing position nearby.
Get Up and Dance
Have your mom and dad get up and teach your kid to dance. It doesn’t have to be a long session. All it takes is your parent showing your kids a few moves. Your mom or dad can then sit down and watch the kids burn off energy as they perform. As time goes on, your parent will likely be able to get up for longer periods of time.
Work Out With the Wii
Kids love video games, and there’s no reason their grandparents can’t join them. Games like Wii Bowling or Wii Baseball have players laughing while also getting a light workout. Motions like swinging a bat and throwing the bowling help tone muscles. At the same time, kids love that they’re playing a game with grandma or grandpa.
When you and your children aren’t with your parents, a home care provider can be. It’s hard to be with your mom or dad every day. By hiring a home care service, you’ll be able to go about your usual routines with work and errands, while your parent has the help he or she needs when it’s needed.
If you or an aging loved one are considering homecare in St. Paul, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.