From the age of 30, we begin to progressively lose muscle mass, from the age of 50 this loss accelerates and over the age of 70 approximately 40% of muscle mass has been lost, therefore working on strength in older people is a fundamental issue to be able to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.
It has been shown that this loss of strength is mainly due to the progressive decrease in the performance of our daily activities to day. For this reason, it is mainly necessary to have an adequate diet and the practice of physical exercise that includes strength training. Below we are going to describe 10 simple physical exercises that we can do at home.
Strength exercises for older people to do at home
1. Squats:Using a chair, we get up and sit with our arms crossed to try not to use them. If we have balance problems, we can use our arms or hold on to a stable surface to help us. Try to keep your shoulders and back straight during the exercise.
With this exercise we are going to improve strength in the lower limbs and we are going to train proprioception when getting up from a chair or surface, most falls occur when sitting or standing up, it is a good exercise for preventing falls.
2. Wall push-ups:We place our hands on the wall, at chest height, and perform arm push-ups by leaning the body towards the wall and returning to the starting position. Non-slip footwear must be taken into account to avoid slipping.
With wall push-ups, we work the muscles of the upper body, improving the strength and resistance of the arms, chest and shoulders, improving grip, the ability to get up, sit down, move objects from one place to another, carry the shopping, even make the bed.
3. Plantar flexion:Elevation of heels, near a wall or chair to maintain balance. Raise your heels while standing on your toes, try to hold your toes for at least 3 seconds, then slowly lower them back to the ground.
This strength exercise for older people favors the muscles of the ankles and calves, important for ambulation, going up and down stairs and maintaining balance.
4. Opening and closing your legs: Sitting in a chair with your feet on the floor, open and close your legs to the sides and then bring them together again. We can put some resistance with our own hands as the exercise becomes easier for us.
We work the internal and external muscles of the thighs, improving the stability and balance of walking.
5. Gluteal contractions:sitting in a chair, we squeeze the buttocks for about 5 seconds and then relax them. Strengthening the glutes improves pelvic stability and the ability to maintain proper posture.
6. Shoulder raises:sitting in a chair, with your arms at your sides, raise your shoulders towards your ears, hold for about 3 seconds and then lower them slowly.
This exercise helps us strengthen the shoulder and neck muscles, improving posture and the ability to lift light objects.
7. Lunges:We take a long step forward and bend both knees, maintaining a stable posture, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the other leg. We can help ourselves with a chair or stable surface when we perform the exercise.
By doing lunges, we strengthen the muscles of the legs, including quadriceps and glutes, improving stability and mobility of the hip and knee joints. We improve gait stability, reduce the risk of falls.
8. Balance on one leg:We use the backrest of a chair or stable surface, raise one leg, bending the knee, and hold with the raised leg for a few seconds (we gradually increase the time). Then we lower the leg or repeat it with the other.
With this exercise, in addition to strengthening the muscles of the lower limbs, we improve stability and coordination, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
9. Triceps: sitting in a chair with armrests. knees bent and feet completely flat on the floor. We lean forward with our back and shoulders straight, we grab the armrest of the chair and push ourselves up without getting up, we stay in this position for a second and slowly return to the sitting position, without letting ourselves fall suddenly. We can gradually increase the time.
To do this strength exercise in older people, you must be seated correctly, with your back well supported on the backrest and using your legs and the support of your feet as little as possible. As we gain rhythm in the exercise, we can begin to do it with our heels off the ground.
With this exercise we work the arm muscles even if we cannot get up from the chair.
10. Walks with resistance:walk around the house or take light walks around the neighborhood with hand and foot weights (light weights of half or a kilo) or a weighted vest. We increase the intensity of cardiovascular exercise and strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower extremities, improving resistance and general strength.
These strength exercises in older people help to strengthen muscles and joints, improve stability, mobility and, in general terms, functional capacity, reducing the risk of falls, and promoting independence in activities of daily living.
In addition to the development of muscle mass and increased strength, strength work produces bone mineralization, then increases bone density. It also increases energy expenditure, improving metabolism and reducing cardiovascular problems.
It is important to note that when we perform these types of exercises we do not have to feel pain or discomfort, we have to adapt each exercise to our abilities and/or look for a professional who can help us do it safely.
