Exercise Program for Seniors: Stretching, Strength, and Balance

Strength exercises are an essential part of a workout program for seniors. Get started with this ultimate guide to strengthening exercises for seniors.

Seniors who exercised throughout life can enjoy bodies that are, biologically speaking, 30 years younger than their actual age.

That's some serious incentive to start boosting your fitness regimen right now!

Strengthening exercises for seniors can be incredibly valuable. You maintain your independence, avoid damaging falls, and enjoy a life with fewer physical restrictions.

Plus, there's plenty of strengthening exercise options available to seniors. Find the ones you're best suited to in terms of fitness, strength, and mobility, and you're good to go.

And even if you're not a senior yet, starting an exercise routine now can benefit you later in life.

Want some ideas to get started? Read on for our top senior fitness exercises to keep you strong, fit, and flexible as you head toward old-age.

Wall Push-Ups

Standard push-ups require high levels of agility and strength. You have to get down into a prone position, pushing yourself up and away from the ground.

Unfortunately, that's likely to be too challenging for many older people.

Wall push-ups offer a better exercise for seniors to try. They're great for anybody who wants to boost their chest and shoulder strength.

This time, though, replace the ground with a wall. Remain standing, lean forwards into a wall, and push yourself away from it in classic push-up fashion.

Start approximately 2-3ft away from the wall and put your hands flat against it. From there, keep your body straight, bend your arms, and lower yourself into it. Finally, push against the wall until you're back in the starting position.

That's one rep! Do this 10 to 12 times to feel the burn.

Reverse Flies

It's time to move onto an upper back exercise called reverse flies.

Thankfully, it's a nice and easy addition to your senior exercise program once you understand the process. The hard part might be getting into the starting position.

Here's what to do:

Stand up with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. From there, bend forwards from the hip until you're roughly parallel to the ground, bend your knees slightly and sticking your butt out to keep your back straight. Next, extend your hands out in front of you (toward the ground).

To complete the exercise itself, you then lift your arms outwards, as if you're trying to tear something apart with your hands. Squeeze your shoulder blades in the process, until your arms end up outstretched to either side.

Finally, reverse the motion until you're back in the starting position.

That's one rep. Repeat this 10 to 15 times.

Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are one of the best core exercises for seniors.

They'll work a bunch of other muscles as well, including your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes.

Start by laying on the floor, facing the ceiling. Next, bend your knees up and bring the soles of your feet onto the floor. To perform the movement, push from your feet and lift your hips into the air.

Thrust your hips upward toward the ceiling, hold it for a few seconds (squeezing your glutes at the same time), and then lower yourself back to the ground.

Do that 10 times! Senior exercise routines don't get much better.

Knee Lifts

Having strong legs in old-age will make everything from standing up and walking to sitting back down easier. Better still, you're less likely to fall over in the process.

Knee lifts are our first suggestion for your exercise program.

You'll be pleased to read that you can do them from the comfort of your armchair! Sit down, keep your back upright, and rest your arms by your side.

From there, take it in turns to lift each foot a few inches off the ground. Your legs should be bent throughout the process. As your knee lifts towards the ceiling, you should feel your quads and glutes working at different points of the movement.

Repeat the exercise approximately 10 times for each leg. Alternatively, you could do 10 repetitions on one leg before switching to the other.

Raise Your Heels

Finished your knee lifts?

Don't get up! It's time to work your calves.

Stay in the same seated position⁠ - sitting upright and with your arms by your sides (or on your legs). Next, lift the heels of both feet from the ground while keeping your toes on it. Then, when you can't lift your heels any higher, lower them back to the ground.

That's one rep! Repeat that same movement 20 to 25 times, or until you can't do anymore.

This exercise is a bit like trying to stand on tip-toes from a seated position. You should feel your calf muscles contract and relax as you raise and lower your heels, respectively. The more you do, the more they'll start to burn!

Swimming

It's important to put some cardiovascular work into your senior fitness workouts.

Of all your options, swimming is arguably the best bet.

Indeed, it's a fantastic whole-body exercise that gets the heart pumping and muscles working in equal measure. Better still, there's no impact and your body is supported by the water throughout the process.

Different people will have different capabilities in the pool. Pick a stroke with which you feel comfortable, such as breaststroke, and commit to going a few times a week. You'll feel fitter and stronger in no time.

Of course, you don't even have to swim. You could stick to the shallow end and walk back and forth.

Another option is aqua-aerobics. This is a popular form of pool-based exercise for seniors, which combines a gym-workout with a swim-workout! It's great for your fitness, and a lot of fun, too.

Get Started With These Strengthening Exercises for Seniors

No matter how old you are, regular exercise is vital for your wellbeing.

However, with their independence on the line, staying fit, healthy and strong can be particularly important for older people. The trick is finding the right strengthening exercises for seniors to make it possible.

Hopefully, this post will help in that endeavor!

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