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Falls Prevention Program

 

STRENGTHENING EXERCISES 


Hi there,

The other day a senior citizen came up to me and said "Hey Girl!! Lately I saw your Physioplus blog that my son showed me... and I saw your exercises on how to stretch your muscles. Uncle or aunty like me also can follow the exercises ar??? Like  difficult to follow only...."
No lah uncle, I reassured him. It is good for you but maybe I can help by putting some simple exercises for you to follow at home.
And so....now we have decided to post some basic exercises, that are safe and effective for seniors and can be easily done at home...
So uncle (and aunty :)) this page is for you......

As we all know, a young adult's body and a senior citizen's body are different in some ways. You may say "ya la, we know mah, because we are getting old". That is correct in a way but the reasons are a little more complex. Well, it is like this.
The aging body is different physiologically compared to the younger person, as there are changes like the bones becoming more brittle, therefore bone thickness reduces, osteopenia and osteoporosis sets in. Have you noticed muscles becoming smaller and more flabby? This is because with increasing age, muscle is also losing its elasticity and being replaced by fibrous tissue, fat etc. Muscles that produce rapid force lose the ability to do so and you notice a decrease in strength and speed with which you perform tasks.
But the good news is that these changes can be slowed down and even reversed at times. Research has shown that exercise programs have shown increases in muscle strength, power and functional activities.

Therefore, it is very important that you do exercises as you age. Most importantly, the types of exercises that are suitable for you may be a little different from the younger adult. So, voila, exercises modified for seniors as you can see below are right for you!




Standing with support, moving leg back




Standing with support, bend hip and knees and look forward.









Remember, do not lean towards the side and always keep your eyes forward and body straight.




Sideways Leg Lifts

Side leg lifts (to strengthen muscles at the side of the hip that keep your pelvis stable). These have been noted to weaken with age. Hold onto a stable table, chair or counter top to perform this exercise.





Hip and Knee Lifts

Ok Ok!! You're doing it well, just remember to bend the hip and knee to about 90 deg and hold it there to a count of 5.



Well, we wouldn't want you to go leaning backwards like that...not advisable...so keep your back straight and bend the hip and knee confidently.

Now you see, that's how it is supposed to be done...back straight,no leaning to the side,and lift up your leg and bend at the hip and knee.


That's good...just a little bit of adjustment there and you've got it!.



Hei, What is taking you so long? Look at me.....


Sitting upright on a chair, straighten the knee. Hold to a count of ten to work the muscles in front of your thigh.

Yes, that's correct! Remember to keep your knee straight. Now repeat with the other leg.

Ok!! Now we are going to attempt to stand up. The technique is to slowly stand up by leaning your body forward, pushing your feet backward and lift up your buttocks from the chair to stand up.


YES!!! That's about it...once you've stood up, smile confidently that you have done it successfully.
Well Done!

Now, that you have stood up, to sit back onto the chair, slowly lower down your hips onto the chair. You may hold on to the front of the thighs for support initially. Sit down slowly...remember not to drop down hard onto the chair but try to control your movement as you go down.

Good!! You've got it...keep it going..bend your hips and knees and sit back down slowly.











Ok time to check now before calling it a day. The team gains an insight into some of the difficulties faced at home by the couple with their home program.








So here are few exercises for older adults and seniors. Hope the steps are easy to follow and catch up. Remember, once you get better at performing these exercises, increase the number of repetitions and hold for longer. If you have any difficulty, come on over and meet us and we will assist you in living life well!

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