respiratory infectionas muscle strength starts to decline rapidly after 40s healthcare providers nutritionists and fitness professionals recommend regular exercise elderly people tend to slow down either due to lack of physical activity reduced mobility and flexibility or agerelated diseases a recent swedish study found that physical activity is one of the most reliable contributors to longevitymove more sit less should be the mantra for seniors advises neeraj mehta founder of gffi fitness academy in west delhi it helps reduce the impact of illness pains stiffness and diseases and also increases the bodys strength and balance about 150 minutes of physical activity including yoga strength training and cardio is recommended for seniors if they are not able to meet this target they can try to match their workouts to their capabilities and also consider chronic conditions and medications he addsneeraj says inperson sessions earlier attended by senior citizens have been replaced by online classes as studios gyms and community centres were closed due to the lockdown it impacted the entire fitness industry as well as everyones daily routines but now there has been a rise in participation in online fitness sessions on zoom and other apps he saysira trivedi author and yoga teacher explains that exercise is not only crucial for seniors physical fitness but also their mental wellbeing one of the biggest worries during the pandemic has been the mental health of senior citizens as they have been confined to their homes even walks have been seen as dangerous yoga is the safest practice for them says trivedi