Staying active while aging is super important for many reasons. Exercising as a senior adult helps prevent disease, improves mental health, decreases the risk of falls, and can even improve cognitive function. Just adding a few simple exercises in your daily routine will help. The exercises listed will help maintain strength, balance, and flexibility in the body. All exercises can be done at home.
1. Wall Pushups – For this exercise, you will lean against a wall.
Step 1 – stand an arm’s length away from the wall. Make sure the wall does not have anything hanging on it, and make sure there are no doors or windows on it, as well.
Step 2 – slightly lean forward, put your arms straight out, and your palms flat on the wall shoulder-width apart. Keep your feet planted shoulder-width apart, too.
Step 3 – bring your body in towards the wall slowly by bending your arms at the elbow.
Step 4 – gently push yourself back up to the starting point.
Do as many in a row as you want/can. This will help keep arm strength.
2. Knee Highs – For this exercise, you will lean against a counter.
Step 1 – put your hands on the counter and get a good grip.
Step 2 – stand with legs shoulder-width apart.
Step 3 – lift knee towards your chest. The goal is to get the knee to a 90-degree angle. If this is not possible, try getting your knee to the highest point as possible.
Step 4 – let your leg down to the ground so your toes tap the floor.
Step 5 – repeat a few times on one leg then switch legs
Do as many in a row as you want/can.
3. Arm Lifts – For this exercise, you can sit in a chair.
Step 1 – sit up straight in the chair.
Step 2 – put arms straight down by the sides of your body.
Step 3 – keep your arms straight and lift your arms toward the ceiling. The goal is to get the arms straight out parallel to your shoulder. If this is not possible, try getting your straight arms to the highest point as possible.
Step 4 – let your arms down slowly.
Step 5 – repeat a few times in a row.
Do as many in a row as you want/can. This will help strengthen your shoulder and arm muscles.
4. Shoulder Rolls – For this exercise, you can sit in a chair.
Step 1 – rotate shoulders up towards the ceiling.
Step 2 – gently move them backward.
Step 3 – slowly bring them down.
Step 4 – do this a few times in a row.
Step 5 – switch directions by rolling the shoulders forward.
Step 6 – do this the same amount of time as you did for the other direction.
Do this as many times as you want/can. This will help loosen your shoulder muscles.
5. Head Turn/Neck Stretch – For this exercise, you can sit in a chair.
Step 1 – sit straight up in a chair with your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
Step 2 – gently turn your head towards the right until you feel a slight stretch.
Step 3 – hold for 5 seconds.
Step 4 – bring your head to the center so you are facing forward.
Step 5 – gently turn your head towards the left until you feel a slight stretch.
Step 6 – hold for 5 seconds.
Step 7 – bring your head to the center so you are facing forward.
Step 8 – repeat motions
Do this as many time as you want/can. This helps loosen your neck muscles
Remember, keeping muscles moving and stretching on a daily basis is important for aging adults. If you or someone you know wants to use a couple of these exercises but are worried about some of the executions, be sure to have someone around to help or encourage as needed.
If you or anyone you know needs other assistance at home, our Christ the King At Home services can help. Our home support division offers support up to 24 hours per day. For more information on our Christ the King At Home services, you can head to: https://www.ctkmanor.org/home-support
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Author: Dominique Martino, M.A.
Title: Director of Marketing and Communications
Work Cited:
Nurse Next Door. (2020, June 4). 6 Easy and Safe Exercises for Seniors. In Nurse Next Door. Retrieved from https://www.nursenextdoor.com/blog/6-easy-and-safe-exercises-for-seniors/