Balance and flexibility in your senior years

My father is an inspiration to his many friends and acquaintances. He is the epitome of a healthy nonagenarian who still drives his car, plays golf, travels, goes to office, and exercises on a daily basis. During my father’s 90th birthday some years back, one segment of the program we prepared for him was to ask a few of his friends to talk about their experiences with him. Almost all of his friends have known him for decades although they are younger than him. They are bound by their love for golf and they travel together to attend golf tournaments for senior citizens. 

All of them talked about how sprite and flexible Dad is at his age. One particular friend was Dad’s roommate during one of their trips and, in his speech, he said he was astounded to see Dad doing shoulder stands as part of his exercise regimen before getting ready for the day’s golf game.
How did Dad achieve flexibility and strength till his nonagenarian years?
For what it is worth, there was not a time in Dad’s life that he did not do a kind of sport — basketball in his younger years, swimming and tennis in his 30s and 40s, golf in his 50s till the present, in his 90s.
His exercises include a lot of stretching ( leg, body, and arm stretches), hanging from a chinning bar, doing light weights and balance exercises which he considers important so as not to fall and break his bones. 

His exercises are doing him a lot of good, to the admiration of his younger friends who are slower in movement than him.

Exercises for seniors

Exercises for seniors involve a lot of stretching and balancing.  Stretching exercises are an important part of their flexibility and will help offset the effects of normal decline in the flexibility of their joints. Balance exercises help prevent falls and maintain their independence.
The great thing about stretching is you can do it almost anytime, anywhere.
There are two kinds of stretching: static and dynamic. Static stretch is the preferred method to create lasting lengthening of a muscle and surrounding tissue, which increases your available range of motion. To stretch in this way is to simply hold a position for 30 seconds or more.  Dynamic stretch or oscillatory motions is to increase available range of motion in a joint. It is a form of stretching that is usually done after you are well warmed up and can tolerate a bouncy pull on your joints.
Static stretching is considered the safer choice.  It can help back pains, improve one’s posture, and is also beneficial for arthritis.
Seniors and the elderly should stretch two to three times a week, performing each stretch three to five times with a 20-30-second hold.

 If an elderly aims to increase flexibility, stretching should be done four to five times a week. Stretching should not cause pain. One must always warm up before stretching.

Some upper body stretches include:

1. Shoulder and upper back stretch to increase shoulder and scapular range of motion

2. Shoulder rolls to assist in keeping your rib muscles flexible

3. Neck side stretch to improve the range of motion in your neck and upper back
     4. Neck rotation to improve the range of motion in your neck

5. Chest stretch for the chest and shoulders

6. Triceps stretch to improve the mobility of your upper arm and shoulders

7. Arm raises to strengthen the arm for activities that require overhead reach like reaching for a book up on a shelf
   Lower body stretches increase your lower body, hip, knee, and ankle mobility. For example:

1. Seated lifts to help stabilize your low back and pelvis, and improve the range of motion in your hips and legs

2. Standing quadriceps stretch to improve your posture by allowing you to stand up straighter

3. Back stretch for your spine and trunk
     4. Calf stretch for your calf muscle and heel cord

5. Hip side stretch, good for the hip area and can help with balance

6. Hip rotation stretch to improve the functional use of your legs as in getting out of a car or stepping over the side of your bath tub

7. Soleus stretch, good for the deep calf muscle and improves lower body flexibility and functional use of the legs

8. Knee-to-chest stretch to help your knee and hip joints, and improve lower back flexibility

9. Hamstring stretch to improve your ability to lean forward and reach your feet

10. Ankle stretch to help maintain ankle flexibility, which will assist with walking and standing.

I suggest going to a gym a few times; ask the help of a certified trainer on how to do these stretches properly. They can also learn how to exercise with light weights to help them strengthen their muscles.

 Balance exercises are important for the elderly to help them remain steady on their feet.  Here are a few of them, which can be done at home.

1. Tightrope walk — just like a tightrope walker in a circus, try walking on a straight line, one foot ahead of each other with both arms stretched out. Pause after each step one or two seconds, look at one spot in front to keep the head straight and maintain balance. Do 15-20 steps.

2. Rock the boat— put feet hip-width apart with your weight distributed evenly on both legs. With shoulders back and the head level, shift the weight on one side lifting the opposite foot off the ground for as long as you can, but not longer than 30 seconds. Then transfer weight slowly on both feet and do the same movement on the other side. Try to do this five times and increase repetitions in time.

 3. Toe the line — also known as the “heel-toe” walk, it involves placing the heel of the foot so that it’s touching the foot of the other foot. You may not exactly touch the toes, but try to do it as close as you can. This is similar to the tightrope walk.

 4. Flamingo stand — stand on one leg for 10 seconds while holding on to the back of a chair. Repeat five to 10 times. Then do with the other leg. 

Doing the above gentle exercises may help seniors enhance their coordination and decrease their risk of falling. A simple exercise such as standing up and sitting down without using your hands can help in one’s balance.
If going to a trainer requires too much effort for your parents or elderly friends, there are stretch and balance exercises on YouTube.

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Source: AgingCare.com and eldergym.com