• Yoga/Meditation: Stretching and strengthening your muscles while calming your breath is good for everyone, and especially good for those providing care to another person. A recent study of Alzheimer’s caregivers by UCLA found that meditative yoga practiced regularly for 8 weeks had showed improvement of depressive symptoms in 65% of study participants. Yoga and meditation instruction online make it easier now more than ever to take a virtual class from home.
• Walking: Walking is another wonderful physical activity that doesn’t require any equipment or extreme exertion but can have significant health impacts. A regular routine of brisk walking, which can start at as little as 10 to 15 minutes a few times per week and slowly increase to 30 to 60 minutes at a time, can help lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol, reduce body fat and give your mind a chance to relax.
• Weekly Exercise Classes: Some caregivers find stress relief in knowing that they have a regular break to look forward to. Regular exercise classes, which may include everything from a dance class at the gym to water aerobics at the community center, are a source of stability in a routine and an escape from the everyday rigors of caregiving. If this is an option you’d like to explore, but worry about a lack of time, consider finding a home care agency to provide respite care for a couple hours each week, or coordinate with a family member or friend to fill-in while you take some time for yourself.
Source: https://www.caregiver.org/news/exercise-caregiver-...

• Tags:
• Fitness