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Gentle gym for seniors:13 easy exercises to do at home

Gentle gym for seniors:13 easy exercises to do at home

Each of us should regularly exercise to maintain one's physical and moral form, to remain flexible and not to gain overweight due to a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise is true at any age. Those over 50 need to maintain physical fitness in order to age well. Today, there is a gentle gym for seniors which is proven.

Why practice a sport regularly when you're a senior?

In any case, practicing a sport when you are senior allows you to stay healthy longer, because this regular practice brings:

  • A noticeable reduction in stress
  • Muscle Maintenance
  • Reduced risk of falls
  • Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
  • The break with isolation
  • Increasing immune defenses

In these various capacities, the World Health Organization or WHO invites seniors over 65 to practice at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, which can take the form of walking, or gentle gymnastics, for example. Here are several exercises that can be done at home.

1 - Work on balance by strengthening the muscles

The loss of balance is often a source of serious health problems in seniors who tend to fall. It is due to muscle weakness that can cause dizziness. In order to strengthen the muscles and make them more toned, it is possible to practice a very simple exercise with the help of a chair, a ball or a bar. Once seated on a chair, you must contract your abs and stand straight. By inspiring. The bar or the ball will serve as an object to be carried at arm's length while exhaling. Repeat as many times as necessary for a few minutes and rest. This exercise can be done daily.

2 - Improve flexibility

Always installed on a chair, standing straight, you must spread your elbows from the ribs and raise them to shoulder height, keeping your hands on your chest. The inspiration is done by pushing the elbows and the expiration by releasing them. Repeat this exercise ten times and as long as no pain is felt.

3 - Work the joints of the feet and hips

Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet apart and your back straight. You have to lift your toes while keeping your heels glued to the ground. Do the exercise ten times and perform the reverse course by taking off the tips of the feet while raising the heels. This exercise allows you to work the joints of the feet while performing the opening of the hips. A second exercise can also be done in another way in the same position. It consists of touching the surface of the ground with the feet in front, behind and on the sides. You have to do it step by step and repeat the exercise five times.

4 - Working the thigh muscles

Always sitting on a chair with your back straight, you have to take your feet off the ground and hold a ball between your knees while inhaling and exhaling deeply. Before exhaling, contract the abdominals as much as possible by pulling in the stomach and buttocks. The exercise can be done ten times as long as there is no pain .

5 - Work the muscles of the abdomen

Stand behind a chair with your back straight and your legs slightly apart. Straighten your right leg and tip your toes on the floor. Then make small beats up and down without putting the foot on the ground. The movement starts from the hip. You have to return to the initial position and do the same movement with the other leg. Each series counts ten times the exercise.

6 - Stay up longer

Seniors tend to sit too long. There is a simple exercise that consists of getting up from your chair to watch television standing up for a few minutes and then sit down again. This exercise can be done daily. It is also possible to call while walking or standing rather than sitting too long.

7 - Maintaining your former balance

The most flexible can maintain their balance by brushing their teeth. The exercise is simple, you have to stay on one leg while the brush and toothpaste do their cleaning job. This exercise is recommended for seniors who do not experience loss of balance for preventive purposes only.

8 - Improving your breath

When a person lives in a two-storey house or in an apartment, a simple exercise allows him to maintain his breath or improve it. All you have to do is go up and down a staircase several times a day . With practice, it is also possible to go faster and faster to work the muscles while inhaling and exhaling correctly.

9 - The bike

When the weather permits, a short bike ride at your own pace is really a very good exercise for seniors. You still have to wear a helmet on your head and go into the forest or on a safe path. Cycling helps maintain good physical and mental health.

10 - Walk

Walking is a complete sport that anyone can do. Seniors can go out for a walk every day at their own pace on an easy half-hour trail, for example. It is possible to configure a smartphone to have a step counter and thus see its progress. This current feature is very motivating.

11 - Gardening

Do some gardening for seniors who are lucky enough to have a garden is very good for health. So, there are a ton of things to do like:

  • Rake
  • Hoe the earth
  • Trimming a hedge
  • Pulling grass
  • Plant vegetables or flowers according to your taste and desires
  • Mow the lawn

Many physical activities are possible with gardening and also allow you to go out on sunny days.

12 - Cardio exercises

Seniors tend to gain weight. It is possible to limit this problem by performing cardio exercises. The simplest are to jog in place , take small chased steps to improve the breath and work the heart.

13 - Taking your dog out

Many seniors have a dog at home. Instead of sleeping with it on the sofa, you have to force yourself to take it out twice a day at least. Not only does the animal need it, but its master will only find benefit from it. Going out with your dog also brings out its isolation, because people talk to each other more easily and thus bind acquaintances.

In addition to maintaining good health , practicing gentle gymnastics or a simple daily physical activity allows seniors over 65 to connect with friends and avoid loneliness . Soft gym, as its name suggests, must be done in flexible conditions. You should never force yourself to perform exercises when there is pain. Here, we are not looking for performance, but just well-being longer.