There are four key types of exercises that are most relevant to older people in that they improve both health and ability. They are endurance, strength, balance and flexibility exercises.
Endurance Exercises: These will increase breathing and heart rates, improving the health of the heart, lungs and circulatory system. Not only will a capacity for endurance help to keep the body healthier, but it can also improve stamina for tasks that one needs to do to live and do things independently such as climbing stairs or shopping for groceries. Endurance exercises can also help to delay or even prevent many diseases that are associated with ageing including diabetes, colon cancer, strokes, heart disease and others.
Balance exercises: These exercises help to prevent a very common problem amongst ageing people, and that is falls. Falling can be a major problem and key cause of broken bones (usually hips) and other injuries that can lead to severe disability and lack of independence in every day life. Balance exercises prevent this by building up leg muscles and keeping the relevant parts of your brain for balancing alert and active.
Strength exercises: These exercises do work to build muscles, however they do more than simply make someone stronger. They can give one the strength to do things on their own, which is obviously extremely important in later years. Even the smallest of muscle strength increases can make a huge difference to a person's abilities, and especially for more frail people. Strength exercises also assist with increasing metabolism to keep weight and blood sugar levels healthy and avoid obesity and diabetes which are major health problems for older adults. Some studies also suggest strength exercises may help to prevent osteoporosis.
Flexibility exercises: These exercises are used to help the body remain limber through stretching muscles and tissues that hold the body's structures in place. Physical therapists and other health professionals across the board will recommend certain stretching exercises to assist patients in recovering from injuries and to prevent them from happening to begin with. Flexibility can also play a part in preventing falls and accidents.