8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

These exercise videos are perfect for anyone aged 50+. From strength training to cardio, we've got you covered.
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Last updatedLast updated: September 28, 2022
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People always think that getting old means becoming so frail that you can’t even lift a single sheet of paper. While the loss of muscle strength is indeed an issue, it’s an expected effect of aging. However, there’s no need to let your age define you. With the help of some of the best exercise videos for seniors, you can keep your body healthy and your muscles moving even as you age.

Exercise videos don’t have to be expensive, either. Thanks to video uploading platforms such as Youtube, you can find exercise guides specifically crafted for seniors. There’s no need to try and figure out if the exercise routine is too intense for you. As long as you’re careful and follow instructions carefully, you can reap the benefits of regular exercise.

Benefits of Exercising for Seniors

Exercise benefits have been drilled into our minds as early as childhood. And for a good reason: it helps maintain healthy body weight and keeps your muscles moving. It can also improve your mood, and it helps keep diseases at bay. These benefits apply to everyone, even to seniors.

Here are some of the benefits of exercising for seniors:

Relief From Chronic Pain

Moving a painful area can initially seem counterintuitive, but gentle stretching can help inflamed areas Trusted Source Exercise and Chronic Pain | USU Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity. extension.usu.edu . Some of the best online exercise videos for seniors can help with your problem as long as you can move without too much pain. Those routines are designed to provide some relief by releasing and stretching pressure points.

Improve Flexibility and Balance

8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

Exercise improves your strength, flexibility, and posture, which can help with your balance and coordination and reduce your risk of falls.

Are you finding yourself relying more on some of the best walking canes, even during the shortest of walks? If you wish to regain independence from walking canes, some free exercise videos might help. Regular stretching and movement return some strength and flexibility back to your muscles, which in turn helps you with your balance. Some exercise videos even ask you to remain seated to minimize your risk of falling.

Strengthen Muscles and Joints

Aging affects muscle and bone strength, but regular exercise can help counteract some of those effects. Physical activity helps ensure your muscles retain their strength to support your joints and help you move smoothly. Even if you’re using one of the best narrow walkers for seniors, light exercise can help you keep your muscles from completely deteriorating. Just make sure you don’t overdo it, so you don’t injure yourself.

Reduce Stress

Physical activity helps the body lower cortisol levels and releases endorphins instead. Cortisol is commonly known as “ the stress hormone Trusted Source Cortisol: What It Is, Function, Symptoms & Levels Cortisol is a steroid hormone that your adrenal glands release. It affects several bodily functions and mainly helps regulate your body’s response to stress. my.clevelandclinic.org ” because we have an overload of cortisol when stressed. It affects how we feel physically and can even affect other bodily functions, such as our blood pressure. On the other hand, endorphins help lower pain Trusted Source Endorphins: The brain’s natural pain reliever - Harvard Health Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. Endorphins are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in response to pain or stress, this group of peptide hormones both relieves pain and creates a general feeling of well-being. www.health.harvard.edu and make us feel happy. Exercising can help regulate the release of both hormones, so you don’t have to rely on medication too much.

Improve Mental Health

Even just a few minutes of walking outside does wonders to our mental health Trusted Source Exercise for Mental Health - PMC The importance of exercise is not adequately understood or appreciated by patients and mental health professionals alike. Evidence has suggested that exercise may be an often-neglected intervention in mental health care. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . It helps us focus our minds on something else. And if your mobility is limited, exercise can still help you. It gives you something to think about as you follow the routines carefully. The sense of accomplishment you get after finishing an exercise routine can help frame your mind to seek more positive reinforcement for yourself.

Best Exercise Videos for Seniors

There are loads of exercise videos for seniors out there. Depending on your situation, you might benefit from purchasing a workout DVD box set; that way, you can still exercise without an internet connection. These sets usually offer more than just an exercise guide, such as a meal plan.

However, if you want more bite-sized information that you can access through any device, then online videos might be your best option. Or maybe you’re looking to spice up your fitness regime with more than just the best pedal exercises for seniors. Regardless of your goal, get ready to grab your favorite exercise mat and move with these online exercise videos.

Senior Fitness with Meredith

8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

A channel devoted to health and wellness for ages 55 – 75 + through exercise, physical activity, and a positive mindset.

One of the more underrated exercise channels with just over 45,000 subscribers, Senior Fitness with Meredith focuses on workout routines for seniors aged 55 and over. Each exercise video is perfect for those with lower or limited mobility. Some comments even praised the videos for providing an exercise option for those recovering from injuries but still want to keep active. And if you prefer the help the tools such as lightweight dumbbells and stretch bands, Meredith has plenty of videos utilizing those. The videos also look less intimidating, with each one recorded inside a home instead of inside a gym.

BeFit

With over 3 million subscribers, BeFit has some of the best exercise videos for seniors. Their videos are professionally produced and star well-known fitness personalities such as Billy Blanks and Jane Fonda. They also have videos catering to all levels of workouts, ranging from beginner cardio workouts to full-body, high-intensity interval training workouts. They even have videos focusing on the science of what you eat and how it affects your body.

HASfit

8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

HASfit is an exercise program designed for seniors and has been proven to delay aging. This 15-minute routine focuses on low-impact exercises.

If you’re looking for some of the best free exercise videos for seniors, HASfit on Youtube has what you need. Created by a pair of professional personal trainers, Coach Kozak and Claudia, HASfit has over 1,000 exercise videos. Each video has a specific focus, so you can pick the one you want depending on which body part you’re improving. What’s more, they even grouped similar workout videos into convenient playlists so you can build a routine that’s right for you. As a bonus, they also have video playlists dedicated to healthy recipes.

FitnessBlender

Managed by Daniel and Kelli, a husband-and-wife team, FitnessBlender is one of the biggest exercise channels on Youtube. Their 6.67 million subscribers get to enjoy all sorts of workouts, ranging from low-impact cardio routines to 45-minute high-intensity workouts. And if you want to take a break from exercising, they also have food-related videos. Looking for something more specific and premade, perhaps to fit your needs? Their website offers a variety of workout programs and meal plans for a fee.

LiveExercise / Bodylastics

Though the channel has since renamed itself Bodylastics, it has many videos focusing on specific areas of the body, further subdivided into increasing intensities. They even have workout videos catering to those with limited mobility. Want to use your resistance bands but need some guidance with it? Bodylastics has you covered. Feeling a bit more energetic and want something short but intense? They have a series of 10-minute workouts to suit your needs.

PopSugar Fitness

8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

It inspires you to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle with news and tips on exercise, eating, gear, and more.

Are you looking for a more lighthearted fitness channel but with a touch of pop culture? Then PopSugar Fitness is the channel for you. Their videos cover all sorts of exercise routines, ranging from no-equipment arm workouts to high-intensity yoga sessions. They even show diversity with their presenters, featuring different body shapes for each workout. If you’re feeling a bit self-conscious when following an exercise video, try PopSugar Fitness.

NativePath

NativePath’s offering is a bit of a mixed bag compared to the other channels, making them interesting. While they offer practical videos such as how to fix swollen ankles, they also have videos showing you how to relieve body aches and pains, along with health food videos. The home workouts are also easy to follow; they’re designed to be done at home, with little to no equipment required.

SilverSneakers

8 Best Exercise Videos for Seniors to Stay Active Without Leaving Home

SilverSneakers is a health and fitness program designed for adults 65+ that’s included with many Medicare Plans.

If you want a program tailored for seniors aged 65 or over, SilverSneakers is the channel for you. Their videos always consider any preexisting conditions you may have, such as osteoporosis or fibromyalgia. They even have workout routines to help your daily life, such as improving sleep or relieving anxiety. Want to take it easy and exercise with the best chair exercise videos for seniors instead? SilverSneakers can help with that, too. And if you want a breather, they have videos giving tips about your health, such as managing cholesterol or improving circulation.

Final Thoughts

Finding the best exercise videos for seniors should neither be complicated nor expensive. Plenty of free workout videos online can help you with your fitness goals. While some may cost a bit of money for a more personal experience, most are happy to give you the information for free. They’ll even help you improve your diet to make the most of your exercise.

And thanks to the search function on Youtube, you can now specify whether you want exercise videos tailored specifically for seniors or if you’re just looking for something with low intensity. Searching for something that gets your heart pumping from within your seat? You can find something for that too. Regardless of what you want, one thing’s for sure: there is no shortage of fitness videos online. It’s now up to you to pick whichever one you want.

References

1.
Exercise and Chronic Pain | USU
Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity.
2.
Cortisol: What It Is, Function, Symptoms & Levels
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that your adrenal glands release. It affects several bodily functions and mainly helps regulate your body’s response to stress.
3.
Endorphins: The brain’s natural pain reliever - Harvard Health
Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. Endorphins are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in response to pain or stress, this group of peptide hormones both relieves pain and creates a general feeling of well-being.
4.
Exercise for Mental Health - PMC
The importance of exercise is not adequately understood or appreciated by patients and mental health professionals alike. Evidence has suggested that exercise may be an often-neglected intervention in mental health care.
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