This post is all about Basic Activities of Daily Living: Exercise Benefits.

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While the topic of Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, and exercise benefits may not be one you want to cuddle up with… It is absolutely a topic you — and your loved ones — need to know about if you are interested in a quality life — lived independently.

Continue reading, and you will learn why all of this is critical for you to know — your older self will thank you!

This post is all about the Basic Activities of Daily Living and exercise benefits.

Activities of Daily Living

WHAT'S INSIDE show

What is Activities of Daily Living?

Also known as ADL, are a series of basic tasks necessary for you to do in order to live independently — without assistance. They are essential for your survival. Activities of daily living examples include basic-everyday tasks such as…

bathing
getting dressed
eating
using the restroom
and getting in and out of a chair or bed

What is Instrumental Activities of Daily Living?

Or IADL is a set of activities necessary for you to live independently and participate fully in society. But they are not essential for your survival. Instrumental activities of daily living examples include tasks such as…

grocery shopping
going to church
cooking
cleaning
doing laundry
using the telephone
and paying bills

The terms Activities of Daily Living ADL, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living IADL, are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two…

The “activities of daily living scale” is a tool that is used to measure your ability to perform ADL and IADL. This scale is often used in research studies and can be used to predict a person’s risk of mortality.

So, based on what you just read, we can all agree that the difference between ADL and IADL is that:

ADL are activities that are essential for survival.
IADL, on the other hand, are activities that are not essential for survival — but they are necessary for independent living.

If you or someone you love is struggling to perform Activities of Daily Living, consider adding exercise to your daily routine…

How can exercise help you with your basic Activities of Daily Living?

To begin with, regular physical activity can make a big difference in your ability to live independently. It is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

There are many benefits of exercise, especially when it comes to ADL. Exercise can help improve your overall health, increase your strength and endurance, and reduce your risk of injury. It can also help improve your activities of daily living by making them more efficient and easier to perform.

3 of THE Most Important Exercise Benefits

So what are the most important benefits of exercise as it pertains to activities of daily living?

Let’s take a look…

Exercise Benefit #1: Exercise Can Improve Your Overall Health

When you exercise, you’re not just improving your physical health – you’re also improving your mental and emotional health. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and promote better sleep. All of these benefits can lead to a better overall quality of life.

In general, people who are more active have a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. They also tend to live longer and have a better quality of life than people who are less active.

Exercise Benefit #2: Exercise Can Increase Your Strength

Achieving muscle strength is an additional benefit of regular exercise. On some levels, this is also an obvious advantage; stronger muscles equate to an increased ability to perform physical tasks around your home, at work, or in the yard.

Improvements on a daily basis can range from feeling less pain when carrying groceries and being able to climb stairs more easily to tackling more challenging housekeeping jobs that were formerly too much work — or just plain dangerous.

Stronger muscles tend to hold up better as you age, reducing your chances of injury and impactful breaks in mobility later on down the road.

Beyond making ADL and IADL easier and improving your quality of life at home — studies have indicated that gains in muscle mass contribute to successful aging later in life by reducing the negative effects of mitochondrial decline (the mitochondria are organelles within cells that produce energy) and inflammation associated with sarcopenia or age-related muscle loss.

Exercise Benefit #3: Exercise can reduce the risk of falling and strengthen bones.

Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults, but exercise can help prevent them. In addition, a regular exercise routine can help to strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of fractures.

If you want to improve your health and reduce your risk of falls and fractures, consider adding some exercise to your daily routine. Regular exercise can have a significant impact on your health, and it’s never too late to start.

What are some simple-moderate exercises you can do every day to improve your Activities of Daily Living performance?

Some cardio exercises you can choose from are:

walking
biking
swimming
gardening

So, my friend, up until now, you have learned how regular exercise is vital to your health and well-being, especially as you age. Because if you are unable to perform ADL independently, you may need assistance from family, friends, or home care services.

The positive effects that regular exercise has on your health are undeniable. Everyone can benefit from exercise, regardless of age, sex, or physical ability.

Need more convincing on how exercise will help you with your Activities of Daily Living?

Check out these seven ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.

1. Exercise Controls Weight

Exercise can help you prevent excess weight gain or help maintain your weight loss.

When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. TIP: *strength training will keep burning calories long after the workout is over…

If you’re anything like me, regular trips to the gym are tough to fit into your schedule. And if I’m being honest, I really don’t like going to the gym… But don’t worry if you can’t find a large chunk of time to get to a gym and exercise every day — at-home workouts and or movement will get the job done too!

If you’re asking yourself: “How much should I exercise in a week to really reap the exercise benefits?”

To help maintain your healthy weight, 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity spread out over the course of a week.
To lose weight, aim for 300 minutes a week.

Do your best to mix it up — do moderate exercise half of the time and a little higher intensity the other half of the time.

And remember, as you read earlier — any amount of activity is better than none at all. Even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being more active for short periods of time throughout the day — take the stairs instead of the elevator… It all can add up to provide a health benefit.

Consistency is key.

*To incorporate strength training — simply include the use of one or more of the following:

2. Exercise Combats Health Conditions And Diseases

Are you worried about heart disease? Are you hoping to prevent high blood pressure?

No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, AND it decreases unhealthy triglycerides.

This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:

Stroke
Metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Depression
Anxiety
Many types of cancer
Arthritis
Falls

Plus, regular exercise can also help improve cognitive performance and helps lower the risk of death from all causes.

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3. Exercise Improves Mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to destress after a stressful day?

Prayer, worship, and reading the Word are — hands-down — my first suggestions.

The thing is, something as uncomplicated as an at-home workout or brisk walk can benefit you as well. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed, and less anxious.

If you set a goal to exercise and followed through with the exercise, you may also feel better about yourself. Which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Isn’t God amazing — He created your body to work as a perfect symphony! When you work on one part of your body — aka exercise — your emotional state improves as well…

Hmm, doesn’t this sound like Romans 12:2? What do you think?

4. Exercise Boosts Energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores?

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.

How is that possible, you ask?

Well, you see, exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores. #WIN 🙂

5. Exercise Promotes Better Sleep

Struggling to snooze?

Regular physical activity can help you:

fall asleep faster
get better sleep
and deepen your sleep

Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep!

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6. Exercise Puts The Spark Back Into Your Sex Life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy?

All of my married friends that are “too tired…” Raise Your Hand

Your husband will appreciate you reading this — and exercising regularly, lol!

So here’s the scoop…

Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and increase your confidence, which may boost your sex life.

But there’s even more to it than that.

Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And, if it’s your husband that’s “too tired,” let him know that men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than men who don’t exercise.

7. Exercise Can Be Fun … Enjoy Your Activities of Daily Living!

Yup, I said that! Never in a million years would I have thought I would be the one to say, “exercise is fun.” But God…

My beautiful friend, exercise and physical activity can be enjoyable. They give you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors, or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting.

Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.

Make it fun! It’s all about finding something you like to do. For example:

take your dog for an extra walk a day
pedal away while listening to your favorite podcast
take up swimming classes with a friend
take a dance class
hit the hiking trails, or join a soccer team

Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it — and stick to it ;). Your older self will be so grateful!!!

Exercise has many benefits for people of all ages, and those who are unable to perform ADL can especially benefit from regular physical activity. Exercise can help improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, which can make it easier to perform ADL.

The bottom line is exercise is essential for a healthy, independent, and better quality of life!

Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any concerns about your fitness, haven’t exercised for a long time, or have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis.

You have an open invitation to binge on all of my posts — written with Holy Spirit-inspired words and filled with love just for you — my beautiful friend. Oh, and tell all of your friends about it, or better yet, text them a link to this post right now! (Simply copy the link in the browser and paste it into a text.)

My prayer for you is that my decades of experience of — an all-consuming battle with the scale — self-esteem struggles — and how God has radically worked on my heart will bless and inspire you!

You’re Invited…

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Posted By: Wanda · In: Wellness