[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
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- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- [For Seniors] Fun and Easy! Fall-Prevention Exercises for Older Adults
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- [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)
Toe strength training
If you feel like you’re getting more unsteady when you stand up or start walking, the cause might be that your weight is centered on your heels.
This time, we’ll introduce toe-strength exercises that help firmly support your body, along with exercises to prevent your center of gravity from shifting backward.
Prepare a chair and stand facing it.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and perform a forward-bending motion as if to touch the chair seat, 10 times.
Be careful not to bend your knees.
Next is a glute exercise.
Stand with your heels and thighs together, tighten your buttocks, and then move your hips forward and backward while keeping them engaged.
You’ll see better results if you continue regularly, so try to do these consciously.
Leg swing workout
We’d like to introduce a leg-swing exercise that can improve hip strength and range of motion in just five minutes a day.
It’s very simple to do! While holding onto the back of a chair, perform five movements—swinging your leg forward and backward, side to side, and moving your leg in a circular motion—each for 20 seconds, and repeat the set twice.
Just this alone helps develop the strength to support your lower back, the ability to steady yourself when you wobble, and your overall balance.
You can do it at home anytime without worrying about the weather or temperature, so it’s highly recommended.
Ankle flexibility exercises
If your stride is short and you take quick, tiny steps when you walk, your ankles might be stiff.
So this time, we’ll introduce stretches to loosen up the ankle area.
First, use a desk or the back of a chair to stretch your calves.
Do it slowly on both sides, without overexerting yourself.
Next, focus on the ankles.
While holding onto the back of a chair as before, lift your toes as if stretching your calves, then tilt your foot to the side.
You should feel the muscles around your ankle stretching.
You can get a similar effect by placing your foot on a chair and pressing down as if you were stepping on a car’s accelerator.
To get your ankles working, it’s also important to support your body by moving it forward and backward while actively moving your toes and heels.
These exercises are simple, but you can expect results if you keep at them.
365-Step March: Singing Exercise
This is about moving your body energetically to the tune of Kiyoko Suizenji’s classic song “365-Step March.” The lyrics, which give the impression of walking forward with vigor, are striking, so let’s proceed with a special focus on marching-in-place movements.
Overall, the routine emphasizes clear rhythm, so feel the beat of the music and make large, dynamic movements.
Whether you’re standing or sitting in a chair, maintaining proper posture is important for loosening up your body.
Slow training to build strong legs and hips
This is a game where two people sit facing each other and try to pass beanbags to one another using their feet.
Place the beanbag on the top of your foot and flick it up; be mindful not only of how much force you use, but also of the angle of your kick.
Catch the incoming beanbag with your hands—your quick reactions and focus will be tested as you judge where it’s headed.
It’s not just about individual control; the intention to deliver the beanbag well to your partner is also key.
Foot rock-paper-scissors clapping exercise
This is a game where you make the rock-paper-scissors shapes with your feet in sequence, and make the order more complex by inserting hand claps.
By switching the order of the shapes and where you add the claps, you can turn it into brain training.
Repeat the same movements for a while, then change the order once you’re used to it so you can focus clearly on the sequence.
If movement alone is confusing, saying the steps out loud as you go is an easy-to-follow option I recommend.
[For Seniors] Leg and hip training. Fall prevention (21–30)
leg-pressing exercise
This is an exercise where you sit in a chair, cross your legs, and press them against each other with increasing force.
The lower leg moves upward while the upper leg presses downward, so you train different muscles in each leg.
After pressing against each other, switch the cross so both legs are worked evenly.
Support your body firmly with your hands to apply solid force, and keep good posture.
Repeat each cross several times, focusing on balance as you actively use your muscles.