3 Magic Exercises for seniors
Shape fitness to fit your lifestyle and health!
There are certain health setbacks that most older adults face. It’s just the reality of aging and our human condition. These include immobility, low bone density, balance issues, and more.
While some of these barriers are inevitable as you grow older, you’d be surprised just how well you can fight natural aging through the smart and timely application of physical activity. More specifically, through exercise programs that target the very joints, muscles, and overall fitness abilities that we so often neglect in the later years.
While starting or maintaining strong fitness habits as a senior can seem scary and overwhelming, it should never feel impossible. To help you regain your confidence and make physical exercise as accessible as possible, I’ve created a short program that virtually anyone can do in their home. Working with countless older adult clients throughout my career as a kinesiologist, I have full confidence that this program will change how you approach movement going forward.
You don’t need to slow down as you age. You need to learn how to shape fitness to fit you.
Turning Back Time Through Simple Exercise
Before we get going, I want to remind you of the risks of adding new exercise habits into your daily life. If you have any chronic conditions or injuries that may affect the safe application of the advice below, please seek out a trusted health professional to ensure you’re safe and ready to move forward with exercise. I can’t stress this enough!
If you are ready and willing to get started, I want to encourage you to begin with 3–4 times per week. While this may sound like a lot, the program only takes about 5–10 minutes to complete so it won’t feel overwhelming. The three exercises listed all have a specific purpose (either mobility, strength, or balance), so ensure you do all of them each time.
As the level of fitness abilities will range from person to person, I’ve included various regressions and progressions below. Please feel to adjust the program to meet your needs and comfort levels. Just remember to constantly challenge yourself and don’t be afraid to gradually add progressions as you grow stronger and more confident! After all…
If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
Application: 8–10 reps
Cues: Start in a quadruped position (1st picture) and then slowly lower your hips towards your heels. The focus here is to create as much length from the bottom of your pelvis to the tip of your fingers. Remember to take a deep exhale as you drop into each rep.
Application: 10–12 reps/side x 2
Cues: To start, stand on one leg. Lift the other knee towards your chest and make sure your arms are in the corresponding runner’s position. In slow motion, bring the raised leg back and down towards the ground without touching the ground with the toes. Be sure to bend your hips — not your back — as you reach backward with the moving leg. Swing your arms in a running motion as you move your leg back and forth.
Application: 10–12 reps x 2
Cues: Approach this like any other squat, but slow down each rep so that it takes about 5 seconds to complete. Set your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, and point your toes out just slightly. While keeping your core lightly tensed (pretend like you’re bracing for a punch to the gut), knees over the toes and heels planted on the floor, slowly hinge your hips back and lower into a squat with whatever depth you feel comfortable with. Hold for about 1 second at the bottom and then squeeze the buttcheeks, extend the hips, and rise back up into the neutral starting position. Remember to inhale during the lowering phase and exhale as you extend up.
In Closing,
Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you have to give up on fitness and living an active, full life. Even 5–10 minutes of movement per day can give you the tools to unlock critical aspects of health such as balance, stability, and functional strength. Furthermore, this program will inspire you to challenge your physical abilities in all aspects of living and foster a more vibrant lifestyle overall.
What are you waiting for? Better health and wellness await you.
DavidLiira.Kin
