The ManicaPost
MODERATE physical activity may benefit seniors’ overall health. You can incorporate activities like walking and aerobics with strength training exercises.
If you are an older adult looking to establish an exercise routine, you should, ideally, be able to incorporate 150 minutes of moderate endurance activity into your week.
This can include walking, swimming, cycling, and a little bit of time every day to improve strength, flexibility, and balance.
There are dozens of exercises you can do to build strength without having to set foot in a gym. Here are a few examples for people who are just getting started.
Abdominal contractions:
To increase strength in the abdominal muscles
1.Take a deep breath and tighten your abdominal muscles.
2.Hold for 3 breaths and then release the contraction.
3.Repeat 10 times.
Wall pushups:
To increase strength in the chest and shoulders
1.Stand about three feet away from a wall, facing the wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2.Lean forward and place your hands flat on the wall, in line with your shoulders.
Your body should be in plank position, with your spine straight, not sagging or arched.
3.Lower your body toward the wall and then push back.
4.Repeat 10 times.
Pelvic tilts:
To strengthen and stretch muscles in the lower back
1.Take a deep breath, tighten your buttocks, and tilt your hips slightly forward.
2.Hold for a three-count.
3.Now tilt your hips back, and hold for three seconds. (It is a very subtle movement.)
4.Repeat eight to 12 times.
Shoulder blade squeeze:
To strengthen postural muscles and stretch the chest
1.Sit up straight in your seat, rest your hands in your lap, and squeeze your shoulder blades toward one another.
2.Focus on keeping your shoulders down, not hunched up toward your ears, and hold for three seconds.
3.Release and repeat eight to 12 times.
Toe taps:
To strengthen the lower legs
1.Sitting in a chair and keeping your heels on the floor, lift your toes high enough that you can feel the muscles along your shin working.
(This helps keep blood circulating in your legs and also strengthens the lower leg.)
2.Repeat 20 times.
Heel raises:
To strengthen the upper calves
1.Sitting in a chair, keep your toes and the balls of your feet on the floor and lift your heels.
2.Repeat 20 times.
Knee lifts:
To strengthen the thighs
1.Seated in a chair, with your arms resting but not pressing on the armrests, contract your right quadriceps muscles and lift your leg. Your knee and the back of your thigh should be two or three inches off the seat.
2.Pause for three seconds and slowly lower your leg.
3.Complete eight to 12 repetitions and then repeat with the opposite leg — https://www.healthline.com.
