As we grow older, our bodies decrease balance and coordination, which ultimately affects our Stability to perform various tasks. It’s the most common problem for seniors. To overcome this perform Stability Exercises for Seniors.
From an early age, we have experienced a slip and fall. At an early age, it was not risky but as we grow our body is not at its peak, and with a slight fall, it can lead to a serious injury. There are high percentage, where people fall and either led to an injury or even death in senior citizens. So the main question arises, how senior citizens can’t handle a fall?
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Balance, stability, and coordination tends to decline with age with weak muscle or weak eyesight and various other reasons. So to prepare for that catastrophic injury, we should do Stability Exercises activities and elderly Stability exercises, and elderly balance and coordination training could decrease the chance of falling and if we somehow fall, we can be prepared for that.
When senior citizens fall, they have a small time to react to stop the fall. But as due to muscle weakness it’s difficult for them to respond. So these Stability Exercises for Seniors at home can help them to prepare for dangerous situations.
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Why Stability is important for seniors?
Stability is the ultimate weapon for a human being. From every movement to every exercise a person does is only can be done by Stability. Gymnastics have a high balance and coordination with that they can stand on one leg for a long time and do various other activities with perfection.
Poor Stability can result in falls, which can result in injury and some cases death. Stability is good in human beings as they can sense the surrounding objects and react with that. But as we grow older our sense to determine body movement and mobility. Most of the senior citizens have a fear of falling, and they don’t do anything with their bodies.
Reason why Seniors fall or lose Stability
There are multiple reasons the elderly can lose balance and Stability and may fall. Some common reasons are:-
● Vision decrease that led to not seeing clearly and not able to determine their surroundings.
● Weak hips and legs muscles which can lead to falls.
● Reaction timing slow when something is on our way causing us to fall
● Medicine can cause dizziness which can lead to falls.
● Spine problems, our body can’t able to lift the body.
These are the most common reasons that cause senior citizens to fall. To stop this falls, we have managed to come up with the Stability Exercises for Seniors to perform at home. Stability exercises increase Strength, endurance, agility, and some methods to prevent falls.
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What changes in our stability and balance as we grow older?
The primary factor is the age. As we grow older the ability to keep our stability changes which ultimately results in falls. Falls is one of the prime factors of senior citizens death. Just not the falls that kills them but the outcome of the fall. The fracture, the bone break, head injury, and many other factors.
Senior citizens have a low tendency to heal, as muscles are weak and the body is only capable to keep them breathing. But with a sudden fall, their body could not manage to heal all the muscles which ultimately led to their deaths.
We can’t manage to manage to get the magical medicine that can make you young or can heal any injury after the fall. We can only guide and put our full effort to prevent that fall. It’s like life and death matter for senior citizens. Just one mistake and you are dead. To save your life by preventing falls, there is a list of exercises that could help you live longer by preventing falls.
Stability Exercises for Seniors
We have included 10 exercises that you can perform at home. Some of these exercises need an extra hand. It’s best to perform these exercises with help from another person. It’s just a precaution, you are older you have to take these precautions. Doctors recommend senior citizens to take as many precautions from diet to exercise.
Exercise 1: Single Limb Stance
How to perform?
● You need a chair for this exercise.
● Stand behind a chair hold it with both your hands.
● Lift your left foot and manage to maintain balance on the right foot.
● Hold the position for 1 minute.
● Switch feet and repeat for 10 reps.
Benefits of Single Limb Stance:
When standing on one foot it increases your balance and Stability under critical circumstances.
Exercise 2: Walking Heel to Toe
How to perform?
● Stand straight and put your right foot in front of the left foot.
● Your heal of right foot should touch the toes of the left foot.
● Start Moving your left foot in front of your right.
● While moving shift your weight on your toes.
● Repeat for 30 steps.
Benefits of Walking Heel to Toe:
It benefits your legs by making them stronger and increase Strength and endurance.
Exercise 3: Clock Reach
How to perform?
● You’ll need a chair for this exercise.
● Hold a chair with your left hand and slowly lift your right leg.
● Extend your right arm to the top of your head.
● Hold this position for a few seconds.
● Switch legs and repeat for 10 reps.
Benefits of Clock Reach:
While holding a chair and standing on one foot increase your balance, strength, and coordination which ultimately prevents falls.
Exercise 4: Back Leg Raises
How to perform?
● You need a chair for this exercise.
● Stand behind the chair and hold it with both your hands.
● Slowly start lifting your right legs backward.
● Keep your back straight and don’t bend the knees.
● Hold for a few seconds and get back to the original position.
● Switch legs and repeat for 10 reps.
Benefits of Back Leg Raises:
This exercise creates the tension in the lower body, thus strengthening your glutes, hamstring stronger.
Exercise 5: Side Leg Raise
How to perform?
● The chair is needed for this exercise.
● Stand behind the chair and hold it with both your hands.
● Slowly start lifting your right legs to the side.
● Keep your back straight and don’t bend the knees.
● Always look forward while performing.
● Hold for a few seconds and get back to the original position.
● Switch legs and repeat for 10 reps.
Benefits of Side Leg Raise:
This exercise Contracts your hips and glutes, which ultimately strengthens your lower body area.
Exercise 6: Balancing Wand
How to perform?
● You’ll need a stick for this exercise
● Hold stick from the bottom and keep it on your palms.
● Maintain the balance of the stick without using the other hand.
● Perform this exercise as much as you can.
● You can perform this exercise while sitting on a chair.
Benefits of Balancing Wand:
This exercise is used to increase the Stability of hands with the mind. As long as we can hold, it concentrates on increasing balance stability for Seniors.
Exercise 7: Wall Pushups
How to perform?
● Stand near a wall and place both hands on it.
● Lean forward with your hands and don’t bend the knees.
● Keep your back straight and palms flat.
● Gently push yourself back from the wall by keeping to arms straight.
Benefits of Wall Pushups:
This exercise is used to strengthening muscles in the upper body. While increasing strength is important it also increases hand coordination and balance with your whole upper body
Exercise 8: Marching in Place
How to perform?
● You can use a chair if you find this difficult.
● Stand straight with your feets hips apart.
● Lift your right knee forward and raise it as much as you can
● Hold at the max position for 3 seconds.
● Lower the leg, and then lift the other knee.
● Repeat 10 times.
Benefits of Marching in Place:
It is a great Stability Exercises for Seniors to perform at home. You can do it anywhere at any time. If your find it hard you can use a chair. It increases your balance to stay on one foot for longer, which you need to prevent falls.
Exercise 9: Toe Lifts
How to perform?
● It’s a simple Stability exercise you can perform at home.
● Stand straight and raise your arms in front of you.
● Lift yourself on your toes as much as you can.
● Hold for few seconds ( not longer than 10 seconds)
● You can chair it it’s difficult to balance.
● Lower your legs and repeat 10 times.
Benefits of Toe Lifts :
It is a great Stability Exercises for Seniors to perform at home. You can do it anywhere at any time. This exercise increases your calves strength and you can avoid tight or sore calf problems.
Exercise 10: Calf Stretches
How to perform?
● You can use stairs for this exercise.
● Stand straight on the toe and your foot heel should not touch the stairs.
● For safety, you can hold anything with your hands but you should stand straight.
● Start bringing your heel upward as much you can.
● Stretch your calves and bring your legs downward.
● The heel of your feet should be lower than you toes.
● Stretch again your calves.
● Perform this exercise 10 times.
Benefits of Calf Stretches:
Strengthening your calves can ultimately results in better balance and better coordination with your body. You can add multiple variations to this calf stretch like you can do while sitting in a chair or any other you would like. But make sure to perform this Stability Exercises for Seniors to perform at home.
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