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12th Jul 2022

Exercises For The Elderly

Exercise is important for everyone.  It helps us to keep fit by improving flexibility, increasing strength and maintaining bone density.  All these benefits go a long way to helping us retain our independence, especially as we get older.  Other benefits to think about are cardiovascular improvement (good for the heart), it can help you to reduce weight and can improve your sleep.  It also makes us feel good, as physical activity activates endorphins, the feel good chemicals that are released in our body when we exert ourselves.  There are just so many benefits to exercise and we feel that it is wise to keep on moving as much as possible throughout our lives, whatever our age.

Of course, as we age it can sometimes become difficult to get to the gym or even out for a brisk walk, perhaps due to ill health, mobility or balance issues or maybe due to, say, financial reasons.  Therefore, in order to continue to keep fit, we think the next best thing is to do your exercises at home if possible.  Below we describe five exercises that can be done whilst sitting in a chair with the benefit of being in the comfort of your own home and they will give you a complete body workout. You don’t have to go mad, just start slowly and build up more repetitions as you become stronger.  If you have any medical conditions, please consult with your GP before embarking on any new exercise programme.

• Knee Lifts.

Sit in an upright chair - preferably a dining chair (not your riser recliner chair) with your legs bent and your feet on the floor. Slowly lift one knee at a time up towards your chest, pulling the tummy in at the same time and then return your leg to the floor.  Repeat as many times as is comfortable and then repeat with the other leg.  Do 2 sets of the same amount of repetitions for each leg and gradually increase the repetitions and sets as you feel stronger.  This exercise will work both your abdominal and leg muscles which helps to keep your legs strong and aids with standing and walking for longer periods.

 

• Leg Extensions

This exercise is very similar to the knee lift but the leg is then extended fully, with toes pointing upwards, returning to the floor when done.  Again, do as many as is comfortable with each leg - say start with 6 or 8 and gradually increase the repetitions and sets as your strength is increased.  This exercise works the upper thighs and buttocks aiding your ability to move around well.

 

• Arm Raises

Start by sitting upright in your chair with arms by your side, then with the palms of your hands forward and keeping your shoulders down, lift both of your arms out to the side and then upwards as far as you can comfortably do. Then return your arms to the starting position.  Repeat as many times as is comfortable and start off by doing a couple of sets, increasing sets as you feel fit.  This exercise could be done with light dumbbells or even with a tin of beans in each hand if you feel you can.  Doing this exercise will strengthen your shoulders.

  

• Upper Body Twists

Sit upright with feet flat on the floor.  Cross your arms and touch your shoulders with your hands.  Keeping your hips still, turn your upper body to one side as far as you comfortably can and hold for 5 seconds.  Return and repeat on the other side.  Again, do as many as is comfortable for you and increase the reps and sets as you become stronger.  This exercise will help to strengthen flexibility in the upper back and abdomen. These core muscles are used for example when getting in and out of bed and when bending over to pick things up, they also play a big part in maintaining balance.

 

• Inner Thigh Squeezes

Place a ball or rolled up towel between your knees and squeeze your legs together, release and repeat as many as you feel like doing, it’s as simple as that. This exercise will increase strength in the inner thigh muscles, which will help with your stability and flexibility.

So there we have it, 5 exercises that can be done sitting down in your own home.  Don’t go mad and overdo it, especially if you have been unwell or haven’t done much exercise for a long time.  Even though you may be sitting down you will still be using muscles that may be out of practice and you don’t want to strain them.  A little bit of stretching beforehand would be advisable as well as afterwards.  The important thing is to use a solid, stable chair without wheels to do the exercises in and remember to stop if it becomes uncomfortable.  Slow and steady with the increases in reps and sets is the way to go and remember to consult your GP before you embark on a new exercise programme.  Keep moving and enjoy.