Sure, regular exercise is good for you at any age, but if you're entering the golden years of retirement and beyond, staying fit is even more critical, especially if you want to keep doing all the things you enjoy.
When it comes to exercising at home, having a game plan can help you stay motivated and on track to reach your fitness goals. If you're working with a fitness trainer, physical therapist, or other exercise specialists, they'll likely offer a routine for you to follow. But if you're alone, designing an exercise program that includes cardio, muscle strengthening, and balance training is more difficult.
An exercise routine for seniors should contain activities such as dancing, tai chi, low-impact activities, walking, lifting weights, and more. Therefore, we leave you the best training to improve strength in older people .
4 tips for older people to exercise
1. Take it easy
Getting into an exercise program is the best way to stay safe and injury free. From here we recommend starting with only your body weight and in a comfortable range of motion, especially if you are a beginner. Make sure your body is truly ready for progression before accelerating or adding resistance.
2. Listen to your body
If you have an arthritic joint, an old injury that is causing you discomfort, or an ongoing condition, pay attention to the times of the day when you feel best and coordinate your exercise accordingly. If it hurts, you should always consult a specialist.
Remember, exercising should never be painful or leave you too sore.
3. Take a pulse assessment during exercise
To keep you safe at all times we recommend monitoring your pulse during exercise to ensure a safe heart rate and avoid overexertion.
Most treadmills and bikes have heart rate sensors that you can wear while exercising. You can also wear a heart rate monitor or an activity bracelet with heart rate readings.
4. Know your state of health
If you have a worrying health condition or are taking a medication that may affect physical activity, it is important to know and control the signs and symptoms associated with your condition.
Take some time to review the symptoms that may indicate a heart problem or stroke that could arise during exercise, and be sure to speak with your doctor before starting a new training routine.
Seated Weight Training for Seniors
When starting a resistance training program, it is a good idea to start with the exercises in a sitting position and then progress to performing the exercises while standing. To add resistance, we recommend using small hand weights or resistance bands.
Perform each exercise for the recommended repetitions. Move on to the next exercise until you reach the end. Take a two minute break and repeat once.
1. Bicep curl
- Grab moderate weight hand weights.
- Start with your arms at your sides, palms out.
- Bring the weights up to about chest height and hold them down for two seconds before releasing them.
- Do 10 reps.
2. Leg extension
- Start with your feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your right knee and push your toes skyward.
- Squeeze and hold for two seconds, lower, and switch sides.
- Do 10 reps on each leg.
3. Triceps extension
- Grab moderate weight hand weights.
- Lean forward in your chair, keep your elbows close to your body.
- Extend your arms and squeeze your arm (triceps) holding it for two seconds. Release and repeat.
- Do 10 reps.
We show you in this video how to do it unilaterally
4. Lateral shoulder raises
- Use moderate weight hand weights.
- With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms to the side until they are parallel to the ground.
- With your palms facing the floor, hold for two seconds and then return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.
5. Elevation of the toes
- Keeping your heels on the ground, lift your toes skyward and hold for two seconds.
- Go back to the starting position. You can alternate feet or do both at the same time.
- Do 10 reps.
Standing cardio for seniors
You can repeat this cardio circuit two or three times. Make sure to rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next group.
1. Static gear
- March in place for 60 seconds.
2. Modified Jumping Jack
- Instead of jumping sideways and backwards, step to the side and back up as you raise your arms overhead.
- Do 20 reps.
3. Raises from a sitting position
- Sitting in an armchair or chair, with your feet slightly wider than your hips, get up and then return to a sitting position.
- Try to stand up without using your hands and arms.
- Do 15 reps.
References
- Lindberg. S. At-Home Workouts to Improve Balance, Mobility and Strength in Your 60s and Beyond. For Livestrong. [Revised March 2020]
