[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 lower-back training. Fall prevention (31–40)
Leg strength training
As we get older, pain in the hip and knee joints can develop and interfere with daily life.
Movements like standing up, sitting down, and going up and down stairs use the muscles in the thighs, calves, and below the knees.
In addition, strengthening the gluteal muscles improves posture and can help alleviate lower back and knee pain.
To help prevent becoming bedridden, let’s start building leg strength.
This exercise can be done while lying down on a mat or futon, so it’s recommended for older adults as well.
toe exercises
It’s said that strengthening the gripping power of your feet can also help prevent falls.
There are even experimental results showing that older adults who had fallen had about 20% weaker grip strength than those who hadn’t.
With that in mind, here are some exercises to train your toes.
By strengthening your toes to grip the floor, you can improve stability when standing and walking.
While seated, try opening and closing your toes like making a fist, or place a towel on the floor in front of you and scrunch it toward you with your feet.
Since these exercises can be done while sitting, they’re easy to fit into small pockets of free time.
Give them a try!
Leg-swing exercises to strengthen the lower body and hips
Some older adults may feel their legs and lower back are getting weaker.
Many might think that walking is good for this and may already be going for walks.
However, simply walking without paying attention doesn’t provide much training effect for the legs.
So here are exercises that can specifically strengthen the legs and hips.
Hold onto a chair and extend one leg back, or place one foot on the seat of the chair and press your chest toward it.
These moves help strengthen the glutes and the front of the thighs.
As walking becomes easier, your range of activities can expand and you’ll likely be able to do more.
For older adults, this can also increase enjoyment and contribute to better health both mentally and physically.
In conclusion
Maintaining and improving leg and hip strength is extremely important for older adults to live safely and independently.
The exercises introduced here are all simple and can be done at home without strain.
By continuing a little each day, you can reduce the risk of falls and make everyday movements easier! Work at your own pace, take breaks according to how you feel, and keep it up.
Start with what you can do today and aim for healthy, energetic days.