What are the best quad stretches for seniors? Exercising and having regular physical activity is a great way to help maintain fitness and physical fitness at any age. The older you get, the more important it is to be active. If exercise is part of your lifestyle right now, then you won’t have a problem and you should continue on the same path. If you are not into sports, you should think about it as soon as possible. But if you have movement problems and you can’t do some specific movements, what will you do?
Although a number of elderly people may not be able to do all sports for various reasons, including injuries or aging, and sometimes they face limitations, but there are still ways to be physically active. For example, you can get help from seated exercises.
In this article from humanhealthmag, we would like to introduce and review some quad stretches for seniors. By doing these exercises, you can continue to exercise, strengthen your body strength and ensure your health, keeping in mind your physical problems.
Benefits of Quad Stretches for Seniors and Aging Adults
Quad stretches for seniors and their health benefits are not hidden from anyone. Elderly, like children, are in a special and sensitive period. If their lifestyle is neglected during their old age, they may suffer a lot both physically and mentally. Stretching can improve your physical and mental health and help control your weight. For this reason, it is a suitable solution to prevent diseases and problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Exercising releases endorphins, known as the feel-good hormone, and changes your mood. Therefore, having a regular exercise program can improve your mental health, improve your sleep quality, eliminate stress and anxiety, and boost your mood and mood.
Regular exercise can also help your body balance and flexibility, increase your strength and endurance, and prevent bone loss. Additionally, exercise is beneficial in helping to maintain health, fitness, and strength, all of which are effective in preventing frailty and aging, as well as reducing potential injuries from falls. According to the information of the National Elderly Council, falling is the main cause of fatal injuries for the elderly over 65 years old. What do you think is a useful and effective solution for fall recovery training?
Then, benefits of quad stretches for seniors include the following:
- Improving physical health, strengthening muscles and increasing bone strength and preventing fractures and osteoporosis
- Keeping weight at a healthy and controlled level
- Improving general cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels
- Increasing flexibility and balance, reducing the risk of falling and resulting injuries, as well as improving a person’s concentration. As we said in how to keep elderly from sliding out of chair, you can prevent elderly people from falling with a few simple solutions.
- Improving mental health, reducing anxiety and depression and increasing feelings of happiness and satisfaction
- Improving brain function and reducing the risk of cognitive diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Strengthening the immune system and reducing the possibility of contracting diseases
- Making social connections by participating in sports classes or physical activity groups
- Improving sleep quality and reducing sleep problems
Is Stretching Good for the Elderly?
At the beginning of the subject of quad stretches for seniors, we must say that Any movement of the body that is produced by muscles and is associated with more energy consumption compared to rest is called physical activity. Physical activity can be regular and planned movements (such as walking, all kinds of exercises and sports) or in the form of daily life activities (such as doing housework, going up and down the stairs, washing the yard and car, and gardening).
Although regular physical activity in the elderly can be associated with limitations and problems, but its beneficial effects in increasing life expectancy, reducing the incidence of diseases and complications caused by them are significant. Stretching exercises improve the range of motion of the joints and increase the flexibility of the body. Flexibility is essential for daily activities such as tying shoes, washing hair, and hanging clothes. Exercises and some yoga movements are among these activities.
But you should know that doing stretching exercises, especially quad stretches for seniors will be a little different. It is better to do this activity while sitting. The Seated Side Bend is one of these activities. Stretching can help increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. These types of movements can slowly stretch different parts of the body.
10 Quad Stretches for Seniors Suitable on a Chair
If you want to do seated exercises, but you don’t know how and where to start, the 10 exercises that we have listed below are the best options for you.
These quad stretches for seniors focus on different parts of the body, including arms, core, legs, as well as some moderate stretches. These are simple exercises and you can easily do them while sitting on a chair and having a comfortable and proper posture.
Quad Stretches for Seniors: Suitable for Strengthening Arm Muscles
1- Seated Bicep Curls
Sit on a chair, lean your back and hips against the chair and tighten your stomach. Using a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands, extend your arms by your sides, keeping your elbows by your side. Then bend your hands and bring them to the shoulders, keep them at a 90 degrees angle and then return them to the previous position. You should do this in several sets with specific repetitions.
2- Isolated Tricep Extensions
Sit on a chair and lean your back against the back of the chair. Begin by holding a dumbbell and extending your arms in the air. Now, with the support of the other hand, bend the hand holding the dumbbell and move it as shown. Then extend your arm again and do this for a few sets and reps.
3- Seated Shoulder Press
Like the previous quad stretches for seniors, sit on a chair and lean. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands, keeping your back straight and your core and abdominal muscles tight. Stretch them upwards and then bend them to make a 90 degrees angle. Your elbows should be on both sides of your body. This bending and straightening of the arms creates the movement of the shoulder press, which you can perform in several repetitions and sets. When your palms are facing up, move them straight up and make sure to keep them parallel to each other. Then slowly again, keeping the balance and parallelism of the hands, bend them and make a 90 degrees angle. Be careful not to lower your hands and elbows too much.
Quad Stretches for Seniors: Suitable for Strengthening Core Muscles
4- Extended Leg Raises
Sit close to the edge of the chair and hold the sides with your hands. Stretch both your legs in front of you and place your toes up. Keeping your back straight and abs tight, slowly raise one leg, lower it, then raise the other leg and repeat. The legs should go up and down periodically. Be sure to raise your legs as high as possible and then lower them.
5- Tummy Twists
This movement has many similarities with the movement of “Russian Twists”. First, sit on the front edge of the chair. Keeping your stomach tight and your back straight, hold a medicine ball or a weight in front of you. Bend your elbows and twist your torso to the left, back to center, now twist to the right, back to center and look straight ahead. By repeating this movement in several sets, you can easily strengthen the core muscles.
6- Seated Knee-to-Chest
Sit forward on the edge of the chair, holding the chair with both hands. Straighten the back, lean on the back and stretch your legs forward. Slowly lift the legs and pull them towards the chest. Knees should be bent and brought close to the chest. Now slowly return the legs to the starting position and repeat this cycle several times.
Quad Stretches for Seniors: Suitable for Strengthening Leg Muscles
7- Knee Extensions
Sit on a chair and lean your back completely on its back. Hold the sides of the chair for balance. Now, keeping your back straight and your abs tight, straighten one knee, keep your leg straight, then bend the knee again and switch to the other leg. Knee bends and leg extensions are good for strengthening the quadriceps and you can do them easily.
8- Seated Calf Raises
Like the previous movement, sit on a chair and lean on its back. Hold the sides of the chair for balance. Make a 90 degrees angle in your knees and place your feet in line with the chair and parallel to the floor. Now tighten the stomach and place the soles of the feet on the floor. Then place the heels of the feet on the floor and press, while keeping the toes pointing up. Now return to the previous position and repeat this several times.
Stretching
9- Seated Side Stretch
Place your feet flat on the floor, keep your back straight and sit on the front edge of the chair. Hold onto the side of the chair with one hand for balance, then raise the other hand, facing the ceiling, and bend it. Slowly bend towards your hand and stay in this position for 10 to 20 seconds to apply pressure to the side and around it. Then return to the starting position and do this with the other hand.
10- Seated Hip Stretch
Sit on a chair, put your feet flat on the floor and tighten your stomach. Bend one leg and place it on the other, so that the ankle of this leg is placed on the other side of the lower leg. Keeping your back straight, slowly lean forward as far as possible. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat for the other leg.
Risks and Tips You Need to Know
Wherever there is foot exercise, there is a possibility of injury. Before exercising and using any exercise program, it is better to consult a doctor to make sure that the movements are safe and suitable for your physical condition.
This is even more important if you have mobility limitations or have recently had surgery or other medical procedures. Consulting with your doctor can help you prevent injury and keep you safe and healthy by improving your health and fitness.
You should know that now is the best time to exercise and it is never too late to start improving your health and fitness. These simple quad stretches for seniors are just what you need to get you on your way to fitness. Therefore, pay attention to the tips and risks of exercise, movement restrictions and doctors’ recommendations to change your lifestyle without any problems.
Concluding Remarks
In this article from human health magazine, we talked about quad stretches for seniors. A number of people cannot do all the sports movements for various reasons, including injuries or aging, and sometimes they face limitations. For this reason, they may not exercise and face various problems. But there are solutions for this group of people so that they too can enjoy the benefits of exercise and improve their health.
With the help of just one chair, you can strengthen various muscles throughout the body and free yourself from the range of motion and limitations you may have.
These quad stretches for seniors that we reviewed are suitable options for strengthening the arms, abdomen, legs, and also increasing the flexibility of the body. If you are old or injured, take help of these simple exercises to live a healthier and more lively life. At the same time, we note that this article is only for education and information purposes. Before using the recommendations of this article, be sure to consult a specialist doctor.
FAQs
What Sports Can Elderly Do?
Resistance, aerobic, stretching balance exercises, if done with appropriate intensity and speed, are appropriate exercises for the elderly.
What Is the Benefit of Quad Stretches for Seniors for the Elderly?
Reducing the risk of depression, dementia and increasing the hormone of happiness in the elderly is one of the advantages of regular exercise in the elderly.
When Is the Suitable Time to Exercise?
The appropriate time for exercise varies from person to person and depends on the personal characteristics of each person.
What Is the Best Type of Exercise for the Seniors?
Elderly people generally withdraw from society due to old age. Participation in classes and public sports can be helpful for the elderly