Did you know that doing glute exercises for seniors at least 2 times a week causes:
- The consistency of the bones of the pelvis and spine increases by 1%.
- The consistency of muscles increases by 75%.
- The balance of the body increases by 13%.
The good news is that you don’t need a complicated gym routine or expensive equipment to build your butt. With proper butt workout movements at home, you can increase calorie-burning and become a strong and powerful person even at home.
In addition, many older people have weak hip or pelvic muscles due to excessive sitting and inactivity. On the other hand, athletes who overuse their hips may also experience pain and damage in this area. With so many hip exercises out there, it can be difficult to decide which exercises are right for you. In this article from humanhealthmag, we introduce some of the best pelvic exercises. So keep reading to find out what pelvic floor exercises are right for you and how to do them.
What Muscles Should You Target In Glute Exercises?
Glute exercises for seniors, like other exercises for them, have many benefits. Everyone can benefit from stretching and strengthening exercises for the hip, even if they don’t currently have any concerns about their hip joint or muscles. Stretching and strengthening the muscles in this area helps to create stability and flexibility so that you can move comfortably and without risk. It also prevents the elderly from getting injured.
Like vertigo exercises for elderly, glute exercises also strengthen balance power in elderly people. To do glute exercises for seniors and strengthen the pelvis, it is better to consider these areas:
- Gluteus Maximus, the main hip extensor muscle
- Gluteus medius, the main muscle on the side of the pelvis
Basically, by strengthening these muscles, you will strengthen and stretch your back and sides. However, it is important to avoid overtraining the extensor muscles of the latissimus dorsi or the tensor fascia lata (TFL or IT band) muscle, located just in front of the hip joint. If you overwork this muscle, you may cause unwanted pain in your knees, hips, or back. Both women and men can perform all these movements. In general, men often have narrower hips than women, although this may vary. Those who have tight and inflexible hips should start slowly and progress gradually.
Benefits Of Glute Exercises for Seniors
In general, glute exercises for seniors are also in the list of sports suitable for the elderly and are very useful for them.The pelvis is known as a large “ball and socket” joint because the round head of the femur fits into the socket or cavity in the head of the hip bone. The pelvis is held in place by strong ligaments and muscles such as the gluteus medius.
The hip joint is one of the common sites of arthritis. To help protect the hip joint from “wear and tear”, it is important to strengthen the muscles that support it. Your pelvis also controls the position of your knee, and strengthening the hip joint may be an important component of a rehabilitation program for knee pain.
If you have a hip labrum tear or as part of a hip exercise program for hip pain, your physical therapist (PT) may prescribe hip exercises after total hip replacement surgery. Hip strengthening exercises can be done as part of a home exercise program. Doing exercises should be simple and not cause pain. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting these exercises or any other hip program.
Warm-Up Exercises To Perform Glute Exercises for Seniors
Always warm up the large muscles around your pelvis before starting glute exercises for seniors. This will increase blood circulation and flexibility and prepare these muscles before moving on to more intense and dynamic exercises. Here are some warm-up exercises to start with:
Frankenstein Step Exercise To Strengthen the Hips
This exercise works on the hip muscles, quadriceps and hamstring muscles. It also increases range of motion, maintains proper body posture, prevents bending from the back, and increases your speed for training progress. To do this exercise:
- Stand and stretch your arms in front of your body with your palms facing the floor
- As you lunge forward, raise your right leg until it is completely straight and forms a 90-degree angle with your body
- Lower your right leg and then raise your left leg in the same way and completely straight
- Continue this movement for 1 minute, if you have little space, you can change the direction of your movement
- When you think you can do it, advance the exercise by reaching your hand on the opposite leg that is being raised and pulling the other hand behind your body
Hip Rotation Movement To Strengthen the Pelvis
This movement increases flexibility and stability. For extra support, you can use a stationary object for support. To do this exercise:
- Stand on your right leg and lift your left leg
- Rotate the left leg in a circle
- Make 20 circles in each direction
- Then do it with your right leg
- To make this exercise harder, increase the size of your hip circles and do 2-3 sets
Step-To-Side Exercises To Strengthen the Hips
To perform these exercises, you will need a resistance band. Keep your hips tight and your toes pointed straight ahead. By lowering the band, you can increase the intensity of the exercise so that it is above the ankle and lower the squat. To do this exercise:
- Get into a semi-squat position with a band loop around your lower thighs.
- Engage your hip muscles by taking a small step to the side
- Walk 8 to 15 steps sideways in one direction
- Do the same on the other side of your body
Types Of Glute Exercises for Seniors
Now that we know the benefits of glute exercises for seniors, it’s time to mention the best types of exercises for the pelvis. Below are some examples of the most common and effective types of pelvic exercises:
- Kegel exercises: Kegel exercises are the most well-known and effective exercise for strengthening the pelvis and muscles in this area. These exercises are usually accompanied by contracting and then releasing the pelvic floor muscles. To perform these exercises, we contract the above muscles for a few seconds and then release them. Repeat this pattern of contracting and relaxing the muscles several times in a row. Gradually increase the duration of keeping the muscles contracted and then release them, this will lead to gradual strengthening of these muscles.
- Bridging exercise (Glute Bridge): performing the bridge movement plays a significant role in engaging the gluteal muscles and activating the pelvic floor muscles. To perform this pelvic exercise, you should lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Next, to perform the movement, you should raise your hips from the ground and form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. In the next step, when you perform the bridge position on your body, press your pelvic floor muscles and lift up, thus engaging all of your pelvic floor muscles. Hold for a few seconds before lowering your hips again.
- Squat (Bodyweight Squats): Squatting is a very effective hip exercise in strengthening the lower body, especially for those people who do this movement to improve their hip pain. To perform this exercise, we recommend that you stand first and then spread your legs shoulder width apart. In the next step, without bending your knees, keep your body down as if you are sitting on a chair, in this position it is necessary to keep your knees in line with your toes. Then do the reverse of this movement and get up slowly and engage your pelvic floor muscles by pressing and lifting these muscles.
- Dead bug exercise: Dead bug exercise helps to strengthen the deep muscles of the middle body, including the pelvic floor. To perform this pelvic exercise, it is better to sleep with an open arch and keep your arms towards the ceiling and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Lower one hand slowly behind your head, at this moment you should place your opposite leg flat on the floor. At this stage, it is better to press your back to the ground and try to engage your pelvic floor muscles. Then return to your previous position and repeat the above movement with your opposite hand and foot.
- Pilates exercises: Pilates exercises include a variety of exercises that focus on the strength of each person’s mid-body, including the pelvic floor. Many Pilates exercises will engage the deep muscles of the abdomen and activate the pelvic floor muscles at the same time.
Some Simple Movements To Strengthen the Pelvis In Elderly
In this section, we also introduce some other glute exercises for seniors:
Moving the Knee In the Chest for People With Arthritis
This position stabilizes the pelvis and stretches the pelvic muscles. It is better to put your head on a flat pillow or a folded blanket. If you can’t reach around your legs, place your hands on the back of your thighs. To make this exercise easier, train one leg at a time (do the exercise with one leg, not two), keeping the other leg straight and straight out or with the knee bent. To do this exercise:
- Lie on your back and bend your knees towards your chest
- Wrap your hands around the legs to grab hands, arms or elbows
- Gently tuck your chin into your chest to stretch the back of your neck
- Hold this position for 30 seconds
- Do this stretch for 2 to 3 times
Donkey kicks
The back kick movement is suitable for people with arthritis. You can do this exercise to strengthen and build the pelvic muscles and gluteal muscles. To do this exercise:
- Get into a table position (get on all fours with your back completely flat and head in line with your back), lift your right knee and keep it bent as you kick up
- Raise the soles of your feet towards the ceiling
- Then lower the leg and return to the starting position
- Perform this movement in 2-3 sets of 12-20 reps on each side
Side Leg Raise Exercise
This exercise strengthens your hips and thighs. To increase the difficulty level of this exercise, you can place a weight on your thigh. To do this exercise:
- Lie on your right side with your legs crossed
- Raise your left leg as high as you can
- Pause in this position, then return to the starting position
- Perform this movement in 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15 on each side
Concluding Remarks
In this article, we talked about glute exercises for seniors. Weakness of the pelvic floor muscles and disruption in this area is one of the common problems among elderly men and women, which often causes urinary incontinence and other health problems. There are many reasons for this problem. Fortunately, by doing the exercises that we mentioned in this article, elderly people can prevent problems in the pelvis and strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Negative Effect Of Glute Exercise On Pelvic Pain?
Doing hip exercises with wrong techniques or applying too much pressure can aggravate hip pain. For this reason, it is essential to get the help of a qualified professional such as a physiotherapist to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly and safely.
For Which People Is Pelvic Exercise Harmful?
If you experience severe or acute hip pain, it is better to consult a specialist before starting any exercise program. They will help you determine the root cause of your pain and give you the necessary guidance on how to do or stop the exercises.