1) Low Impact Aerobics
Aerobic activity helps older adults burn off calories, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, maintain joint movement, improve heart health, and increase energy levels. Keep the aerobic activity to a low impact exercise to avoid injury.
2) Squats for Lower Body Strength
The process of building muscle takes time, but the benefits are enormous for your health as a senior. Not only does strength training increase strength and muscle tone, but it also increases the body’s bone density. This means your bones are getting thicker and stronger too. Leg strength will improve balance and decrease the chances of a falling injury. Make sure to squat with your body’s natural range of motion. With practice this flexibility and range of motion will improve. It also helps to hold onto something while squatting like a bench press stationed barbell.
3) Raise Your Arms Overhead for Upper Body Strength
Adding resistance with light weights or elastic bands helps develop muscle mass and upper body strength. This can be done either sitting or standing.
4) Bicep Curls
Lifting everyday objects like a suitcase or a gallon-size jug of water can become more difficult as you age. Arm curls will strengthen the muscles involved with these movements.
5) Modified Push-ups
Push-ups are a great exercise to strengthen the arms, shoulders, and chest but as a senior these push-ups may need to be modified. The most basic modified push-up is a wall push-up. As you get stronger, you can put yourself at more of an angle to make it more difficult. When this is mastered, you can do modified push-ups with your hands on a bench and feet on the floor. Again, change the angle as you become stronger. If you do not have any knee problems, then the last more advanced modified push-up is on the ground like a normal push-up, but with the knees bent and touching the floor.
6) Leg Raises
Not only do leg raises help strengthen the thighs, hips, buttocks, and lower back muscles, this type of exercise benefits balance as well. Leg raises can be performed standing up and holding onto something if needed or lying down on a mat.
7) Calf Raises
Building muscle mass and focusing on better balance can help reduce the risk of falls and broken bones. Hold onto something, lift your heels off the floor so that you are on the balls of your feet, and slowly lower your heels back to the floor.
8) Stretch
Before the workout, you should perform active stretches, meaning you are constantly moving and not holding a stretch in a single position. This includes high knees, butt-kickers, or punches. After the workout, it helps to do static stretches meaning you are holding a stretch in a single position. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds, release, and go back into the same stretch for another 15 seconds.
Here at Brenda Athletic Clubs in Modesto and Turlock we offer multiple Group Exercise Classes for seniors including Silver Sneakers and Aqua Aerobics. A personal trainer can also help you get in shape and increase strength. Contact us for more information at http://www.brendaathletics.com.
Brenda Athletic Clubs Fitness Tips 