The ASAG Reverse Mortgage may finance the cost of your fitness, including a home gym set up and equipment you need.
The human body naturally degrades as people age and when you reach the later years, you might feel things that didn’t come in your youth. When an elderly person decides to age in place, they might need something to stay the course. One solution to keep fit, though, is to set up a house gym, which may be possible with help from an equity release facility.
Where to set up your home gym
A major consideration when developing a seniors home gym will be to find a location at home where to set things up. A look at your property may reveal some clues, added to your training plans.
- Loved ones’ bedroom. If you have a child who has officially moved out of their bedroom and cleared it in the process, it can be taken over and converted as the gym.
- Living room. The living room may be a possible location for the gym if part of the space is cleared for up to one or two machines.
- Garage. The garage may have some ample space if it is large enough for more than one vehicle but you only have one vehicle. As garages may also serve as storage areas, anything placed there should be transferred to another location on the property or be disposed of.
- Basement. Although many contemporary Australian houses do not have basements, those which have them invite ample opportunities to be developed as a gym, especially for some sections. This is subject to possibly extensive remodelling, including expanding the ventilation and making it mould-proof.
- Home office. If the senior has a specific room for a home office, the place can be partly fixed up as a home gym enough for at least one machine. For example, an exercise bike may be set up on a distance from the desk.
Cardinal elements a home gym should have include ample lighting, ventilation, first-aid and safety equipment, and extensive rubber matting. The rubber mats will absorb the impact of any weights placed on the floor and also dull their sound if the home gym is on a higher floor, avoiding discomfort to the people below. Although the senior may be mostly using the gym themselves, a carer or loved one should be present as their spotter.
Home gym equipment for seniors
Consultations with a doctor and a physical trainer on the senior’s fitness goals and training plan can identify which exercise equipment they should acquire for installation in the eventual gym space. The machines themselves must have features optimum for seniors’ usage, such as longer handrails, larger and easy to lock in foot pedals (in the case of exercise bikes), and swivel seats. If an exercise machine has digital displays, the system must be simple to operate and has information that can be easily understood.
Here are some gym equipment examples that can be recommended for a senior’s training programme:
- Treadmill. Treadmills are often notable inclusions for a home gym because it allows the person to walk or run at their leisure without actually stepping outside. For seniors, this enables them to keep their mobility and heart rate up while maintaining balance with the large side handrails. Some treadmills may have special settings for casual movement or serious training runs; there are also treadmills with cardio sensors to detect your heart rate.
- Recumbent exercise bikes. Recumbent bikes are favoured amongst seniors because it allows them to cycle while sitting down on a reclined seat. It is a low-impact machine which enables more flexibility for the knees, hips and ankles than regular exercise bikes and also helps straighten the back. Some fitness experts claim that exercise on a recumbent bike helps people with joint pain and osteoporosis.
- Indoor Rowers. Indoor rowing machines are designed for building resistance and strengthening the core muscles. Same as actually running a rowboat, the indoor rower allows for stretching several important muscle groups.
- Ellipticals. Elliptical cross-trainers are crafted for low-impact workouts, testing the arms, shoulders, legs, and core in one motion. They are available in seated and standing configurations.
- Resistance bands. Resistance bands are stretchable and are designed to build resistance and muscle mass, such equipment is common in physical therapy sessions. Some physical fitness trainers working with seniors note that exercises with resistance bands focus on enhancing strength of shoulders, core muscles, and legs.
- Weights. Few seniors’ exercises can do without any form of weight training. You can choose between dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells, but it is often advised to start at the lighter weights. Free weights will work towards muscle development and maintenance. An increased calcium intake is essential to reinforce the bones. A spotter will be needed to observe the senior’s form and avoid injury.
- Yoga mat. Some discussions on seniors’ health could probably lean towards taking up yoga, with an associated yoga mat to boot. Yoga mats are primarily non-slip and made of rubber and cloth. Yoga may be beneficial for seniors as various poses are meant to build abdominal muscles, core stability, and joint flexibility. Breathing exercises in yoga also help in practising calm and stress relief.
Train hard, feel great
Setting up a gym right in your home lends itself to a raft of benefits.
- Weight management. Undertaking regular exercise in the gym enables one to keep their weight in check by sweating off the fat and purging heavy toxins through the sweat. A proper nutrition plan which includes protein and vegetable intake would add to the body’s overall condition.
- Better bones. Training enables the body to reinforce bone density by building more bone cells, in addition to calcium intake such as milk. Stronger bones may lessen the risk of breakage from slip and fall.
- Sleep quality. Exercising regularly can aid in better sleep, such as increasing core body temperatures during the workout and then cooling down at night. This may be true if the workout was made up to three hours before sleeping.
- Mental wellness. Some experts claim that exercising, especially in a home gym, helps ease issues of loneliness and depression that comes with independent living. When the training is carried out with help from a partner such as a carer or visiting loved one, it also gives the senior added inspiration to beat back stress and possibly do more reps.
- Eased heart condition. Constant cardio exercise is meant to keep the heart at a stable condition, especially when combined with strength training. The training can also include breathing exercises during your warmup to lower stress levels.
The ASAG Reverse Mortgage
With help from ASAG, you can ensure your healthy wellbeing in retirement. An equity release solution like the ASAG Reverse Mortgage may finance some aspects of your Day-to-Day Expenses, which may include the cost of fitness. The funds from the loan can be invested in setting up your home gym and planning for the equipment you need.
Call ASAG at 1300 002 724 or email us at info@asagfirst.com.au for your enquiries about our reverse mortgage.
You may also get started and do your own equity assessment by using our tool below.