Exercises for the elderly & disabled

charlenebiltz8

I have rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative disc disease, 3 discs have herniated, and Pulmonary arterial hypertension, which causes me to be short of breath with any exertion. But I refuse to lie in bed with oxygen 24/7. I'm determined to lose 30# but am at a loss about exercise. Any tips are greatly appreciated. I am a month short of 72 and I can't take any kind of DMARDS.

cmriverside

Well, weight loss is all about how much food you eat. Exercise is not necessary and really would only burn a couple hundred calories per day. That's like two cookies.

Log your food. Learn to log on this site. Study your food diary. Add vegetables to every meal.

It's 100% about eating less for weight loss. Exercise is good for you and would help you in many ways, though. Can you see a physical therapist for suggestions?

Good luck.

ninerbuff

There are some chair exercises on YOUTUBE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oumzMyqK-2I

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tomcustombuilder

Diet causes Fatloss however yes you need to move. There are chair exercises there are some good programs on YouTube. Getting in and out of a chair is good if that’s something you can do. You can work around your issues. Just walking is amazing.

AnnPT77

Hi, Charlene! I'm close to your age (67), but in a different stage of the process.

If you're in the US, and have access, both AARP and Silver Sneakers have online videos and even live online or real-life classes for seniors, at varying levels of difficulty. I think some of the AARP info is free, though some requires either free signup or actual membership (which is pretty affordable). Silver Sneakers is a thing that some health insurances have in the Medicare stage of life, and I think there are similar fitness programs for seniors from other insurance providers.

I agree that a physical therapist consult could be helpful: Ask your doctor about a referral.

I also agree that getting the eating side of the equation under control is the key thing for weight loss. I didn't particularly increase exercise in order to lose weight at 59-60 (though I was already active and had figured out what I could do within physical limitations). I will say that exercise is useful for health and general good functioning. As long as I'm careful about avoiding injury by overdoing, I've found that getting fitter and stronger has decreased frequency and severity of pain from things like osteoarthritis, torn meniscus, etc. Weight loss tends to reduce joint pain and slow future damage, too.

Best wishes for finding a routine that works for you!

history_grrrl

I’m 62 and have several medical problems that limit my ability to do certain kinds of exercise. I do a variety of stretching exercises learned in physiotherapy, am taking a weekly chair yoga class, and just started some of the workouts on the SeniorShape YouTube channel (they’re not designed for people with disabilities, though I just go at a slower pace as needed or skip things I can’t manage). It sounds like you would benefit from a consultation with a physiotherapist who can assess and advise you. Good luck! You have the right attitude.

kshama2001

I like your attitude!

Do have a consultation with a physiotherapist or physical therapist.

As an amateur, I'm going to suggest you see if you have a Senior Center with group fitness classes like Thai Chi. I volunteered at the Senior Center in my last town and they offered a variety of group fitness classes for the elderly, some free of charge.