For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
Strengthening the muscles in your legs increases the ability to support daily activities and helps prevent falls.
However, overexertion can cause injuries, so it’s important to start with low-impact exercises.
Here, we introduce simple and effective leg-strengthening exercises that older adults can do without strain.
These safe methods use items like chairs and walls, making them easy to perform at home.
Begin little by little, keep it enjoyable, and aim to maintain healthy daily habits!
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- [For Seniors] Strengthen Your Legs! Recommended Training Items
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] Core Training: Recommended Simple Rehabilitation
- [With Video] Lower-limb strength training for seniors that can be done in bed
- [For Seniors] Exercises to Walk Again. Fall Prevention
- [For Seniors] Fun and Easy! Fall-Prevention Exercises for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
- [For Seniors] Stretching Exercises: Easy and Safe to Do
- [For Seniors] Leg and lower-back training: Fall prevention
- [For Seniors] Recommended exercises to relieve constipation.
- For seniors: Enjoyable stick exercises. Easy workouts.
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
[For Seniors] Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion (41–50)
Inner thigh training
This is an inner thigh exercise you do while seated.
Strengthening your inner thighs helps with the movement of bringing your leg forward when walking from a standing position.
Sit down and place two rolled bath towels between your thighs.
When you squeeze, focus on the inner thighs and apply firm pressure—that’s the key point.
It’s also important not to hold your breath.
If it’s hard to keep the towels in place, try adjusting the number of towels or how you fold them.
Since this isn’t a high-movement exercise, give it a try casually.
Simple front-thigh stretch
Many leg muscle exercises are done standing.
However, some older adults may find it difficult to stand or move their bodies as they wish.
So here’s a simple stretch you can do while seated to strengthen the front of your thighs.
A common exercise to work the front thighs involves standing and pulling one leg up with your hand.
If standing is difficult, sit sideways on a chair and extend one leg.
Even this alone stretches the front of the thigh.
It’s a stretch that’s easy for older adults to try.
Hamstring workout you can do while lying down
We’d like to introduce a workout you can do while lying down that may also help prevent lower back pain.
Some older adults may find it bothersome to move their bodies, and when your body doesn’t move the way you want, it’s easy to feel intimidated by exercise and training.
That’s why we recommend a five-minute, lie-down routine to strengthen your hamstrings and help prevent back pain.
Lie on your back with both knees bent, then lift and lower your hips.
If you’re able, avoid touching your hips to the floor when lowering for greater effectiveness.
Since this routine can be done lying down, it’s easy to try at home.
Leg raise exercise you can do while lying down
Here is an easy leg exercise you can do at home while lying down.
By strengthening their leg muscles, older adults can maintain and improve their walking ability and help prevent falls.
Falls can lead to injuries such as fractures and, in some cases, result in becoming bedridden.
Let’s make good use of exercises you can practice regularly to strengthen your legs and hips.
While lying down, bend one knee with your foot flat, and lift the other leg.
Start by aiming for 10 repetitions.
As you get used to it, try increasing the number of reps.
Seated front-thigh training
Sit in a chair and let’s train your front thighs.
Fold or roll up a bath towel and place it under the thigh of the leg you’ll be training.
Lift the training leg until it’s about the same height as your other leg, hold for 10 seconds, then lower it.
Next, lift the leg the same way and hold for 10 seconds while pulling your toes toward you.
Focusing on the front thigh muscles will make it more effective.
Go at a pace that’s comfortable for older adults, but try to do 3 sets per day.
Seated leg training
In many senior and welfare facilities, exercise is part of the daily routine, isn’t it? Among older adults, there are some who don’t join in, saying things like, “I get tired after just a little movement,” or “My body doesn’t move the way I want it to.” The seated leg training we’re introducing this time can be done during casual conversation, in small pockets of free time, and even without joining the main exercise group.
Stay seated in a chair and lift or open one leg at a time.
It can be done at the pace that suits each older adult, so please use this as a reference.
Glute exercises performed while lying down
To perform daily activities such as walking, standing, and sitting smoothly, it’s important to strengthen the gluteal muscles.
What happens when the glute muscles become weak? The glutes also help absorb impact when one foot strikes the ground during walking.
Weakening of these muscles can lead to poor body balance.
Glute exercises that can be done while lying down are a convenient way for older adults to train.
Try lying on your side, lifting one leg, and moving it backward.