Ask Your Parent's Doctor Before They Dive Into A Fitness Program

Exercise benefits the heart and lowers the risk of chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It also helps with balance and stamina and overall good senior health.

Before your parents dive into a new fitness program, they need to keep a few things in mind. Most importantly, they need to talk to their doctor. While a fitness program may look appealing, they need to make sure they're healthy enough to tackle something new.

Questions to Ask the Doctor

Ask your parent's doctor if there are any exercises they should avoid. For example, if they have low bone density, the doctor may not recommend activities involving a lot of jumping. They also may need to take it slow if their medications cause dizziness or nausea.

If their doctor is overly concerned, a physical therapist may be recommended to help your parents learn the best exercises for their needs. Of course, you want to have them exercising safely to prevent a fall or injury to a joint or muscle.

Invest in a Smart Watch

If your parents have any health conditions, such as heart disease, they may need to monitor their heart rate while exercising carefully. A smartwatch can track their pulse and alert them if it's getting too high if this is the case. Likewise, some watches follow the heart's rhythm and alert you if something seems off.

Fitness tracking watches may be able to monitor blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels, too. But, again, it varies from one model and brand to the next.

While the fitness trackers aren't always completely accurate, it's a handy alert that can have your parents stop exercising and call their doctor. The doctor can run tests to make everything is okay before your parents start working out again.

Senior Health: Is It Time for Elderly Care?

Have you asked your parents about their daily routine? Are there things they find hard to do on their own due to the side effects of medications, lower stamina, or arthritis pain? Elderly care aides may be the ideal solution to their changing abilities.

Caregivers can carry the laundry downstairs. They can help them safely exercise or get something from the top shelf in the kitchen. They can help with meals, errands, and prescription reminders. Call Modern Health Home Care to answer your family's questions and learn more about the cost of caregivers who can help with better senior health.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Elderly Care in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, please contact the caring staff at Modern Health Home Care today at 215.995.2012.