[For Seniors] Leg and lower-back training: Fall prevention
As we age, the muscles in our legs and lower back can weaken, making us more prone to stumbling or falling.
However, by continuing with simple training, you can better support your lower body and aim for a body that’s less likely to fall.
Incorporating easy, low-impact exercises into your daily routine will also help you gain confidence in walking.
This time, we’ll introduce leg and lower-back strengthening exercises that are safe for older adults.
You can start them easily at home, so why not enjoy moving your body while you do them? Keep at it a little each day, and let’s keep walking energetically for years to come!
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- For Seniors: How to Strengthen Your Inner Muscles. Fall Prevention
- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- [For Seniors] Fun and Easy! Fall-Prevention Exercises for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Exercises to Walk Again. Fall Prevention
- [For Seniors] Strengthen Your Legs! Recommended Training Items
- [With Video] Lower-limb strength training for seniors that can be done in bed
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
- Summary of exercises for seniors: introducing preventative care movements by body part.
- [For Seniors] Core Training: Recommended Simple Rehabilitation
- [For Seniors] Easy and Fun Core Training
- [For Seniors] Improve Your Body Concerns! A Summary of Exercises for Urinary Leakage
[For Seniors] Leg and hip training. Fall prevention (11–20)
Psoas muscle exercisesNEW!
As we get older, we often develop pain in the knees and lower back.
If massage hasn’t been helping, why not try this exercise to strengthen your iliopsoas? Activating the iliopsoas can reduce the strain on your knees and lower back.
It’s simple: sit toward the edge of a chair and perform high knee lifts.
Do 30 reps on each leg.
If you want to increase the load, extend both arms straight forward and lean your torso slightly forward.
Keep doing the knee lifts in this position.
Iliopsoas Pilates & StretchNEW!
Pilates stretches for the iliopsoas that you can do casually at your own pace without worrying about time or place are a perfect exercise for older adults who find it difficult to go out.
The iliopsoas is an important muscle used when lifting the thigh.
As we age, it becomes easier to stumble while walking, which can lead to serious injuries from falls, so let’s move our bodies within our limits and stay healthy.
The key is to perform each movement carefully, moving slowly and lengthening the muscles.
Doing this exercise will also slim the lower abdominal area and make moving your body more enjoyable.
Easy Iliopsoas StretchNEW!
When you remain seated for long periods, the iliopsoas muscle atrophies and becomes stiff.
If the iliopsoas stops functioning properly, it can place stress on the knees and lower back, potentially causing pain.
So here’s a simple iliopsoas stretch you can do at home.
First, get on all fours and extend your right leg straight back.
Bend your left leg and bring it forward.
Then twist your torso to the opposite side of the extended leg.
Walk your hands to help you rotate slowly while paying attention to your breathing.
The key is to initiate the twist from the pit of your stomach (solar plexus).
Switch legs and hold each side for 20 seconds.
Leg swings and high knee raisesNEW!
A simple, enjoyable iliopsoas stretch that’s also recommended for people who’ve tried various stretches but can’t keep up with them.
For the leg swings, keep good posture and move your leg forward and backward with large motions.
For the thigh-lift stretch, raise your knee high so it comes up toward your chest.
A key point for both stretches is that you can hold onto something and move slowly while supporting your body.
Heavy-feeling legs or frequent tripping may be signs of decreased muscle strength.
Give these a try to help you stay active and healthy.
Glute training for standing up smoothly from the floorNEW!
The gluteal muscles are the muscles that make up your buttocks.
By strengthening them, you’ll be able to stand up smoothly from the floor.
First, step one foot forward and the other back, and bend your knees slightly.
Place your hands on your knees for support, and repeatedly hinge your upper body forward and then return upright.
Next, in the same stance, move your hips up and down to do knee bends.
As you do this, focus on shifting your weight onto the front leg.
If you feel unsteady, it’s a good idea to hold onto a chair or a wall for support.
Rehabilitation Functional Training Exercises: Standing Up Movement Improvement EditionNEW!
Let’s do a rehabilitation exercise routine that helps improve the motion of standing up.
Start with marching in place, gradually increasing the speed.
Next, put a TheraBand just above the knee joint and march in place.
From there, change the position of the TheraBand and continue with hip abductions and knee extensions.
Then add toe raises and heel raises.
Finish with deep breathing.
You can strengthen your legs and hips while sitting in a chair, so try it within a comfortable range.
[For Seniors] Leg and hip training. Fall prevention (21–30)
Sit-to-stand training using parallel barsNEW!
This is a standing-up exercise using parallel bars for rehabilitation.
Hold the bars firmly with both hands and stand up on the count of three.
Then try to maintain a standing position for about 10 seconds.
If you can hold it, slowly sit back down.
Since you won’t always have support when standing up, practice repeatedly standing and sitting like this.
Doing so will strengthen your legs and lower back and help you learn a way of standing up that doesn’t put unnecessary strain on your body.
Parallel bars can also be purchased from online shops.