Flexibility Exercises for Seniors

As most seniors are usually not very physically active, their muscles tend to become taut and inflexible. Flexibility exercises stretch out these muscles and reduce the tension from them, thereby allowing them to move around and feel more confident about themselves. Another advantage of a flexibility workout is that it improves the blood flow to the painful joints of the body, and brings down the inflammation. As a result, the range of motion of the joints affected by arthritis or osteoporosis increases.

The exercises should focus on all the major muscle groups of the body. Here are a few stretching exercises.

• Sit on a chair that does not have any arms support. Extend your legs in front of you.
• Place the heels on the ground and bend your ankles in such a way that the toes are pointed in the upward direction.

• Hold it for 20-30 seconds and place your feet back on the ground.
• Bend the ankles on the other side, so that the toes are pointed away from your body and hold on for 20-30 seconds. These leg stretches should be repeated 3-5 times.

Many elderly people feel stiffness in the neck after sitting for a while at a desk. A neck stretching exercise can reduce this stiffness almost instantly.

• Sit on a chair keeping your head straight and look forward.
• Bend your neck slowly on the right side and hold this position for about 15-20 seconds. Then move your head slowly back to the upright position.

• Again tilt your head to the left side in the same manner for 15-20 seconds and get back to the original position. This should be repeated for 3-5 times as per your convenience.

Stiffness in shoulder and upper back region often makes hand movements for performing any activities painful. Shoulder stretches can bring about improvement in the condition.

• Stand in the upright position.
• Take a towel and hold its one end at the back of the head with your left hand. Use right hand to hold the other end of the towel near the lower back region.

• Pull both the ends of the towel gently with your hands, so that you feel a slight stretch in your shoulder muscles. Maintain this position for a few seconds and then relax.
• Repeat the stretching on the opposite side, where you use your right hand to hold the upper end of the towel.

• Sit on a chair with your feet rested flat on the floor and shoulder width apart.
• Lift both your arms at the sides up to the height of your shoulder, with your palms facing forwards.
• Try to move the arms gradually in the backward direction in such a way, that the shoulder blades get squeezed up. You can feel the stretch in chest muscles.
• Hold this stretch for 15-30 seconds and release the muscle. Repeat it 3 to 5 times.

If you experience discomfort while stretching, stop immediately. You can perform the exercises with standing position as well. The advantage of chair exercises for seniors is that, they can be performed even by the ones who have difficulty in maintaining body balance.

• Lie flat on your back, with your arms on your sides.
• Bend the knees keeping the feet on the ground.
• Pull your knees near your chest and then let them fall on any one side of the body. Then turn your head in the opposite direction. This position should be held for 30 seconds and then get back to the original position.

• Again move your knees up to the chest and then let it fall on the other side of the body in the same manner. This will stretch out the back muscles that lie between the neck and the hip.

Most seniors avoid any kind of exercises simply because they do not like to do it alone. In that case, they can do some fun activities with a partner, which can improve flexibility for seniors.

• Both you and your partner sit on the ground facing each other.
• Stretch your legs so that your feet touches your partner's feet.

• Take a towel or resistance band and each one of you hold its end.
• Both of you pull the towel slowly towards your side. Pull as much as possible to feel a good amount of stretch in your arms. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds. Repeat it 4-5 times. As your flexibility increases, you can take a small size towel.

The exercises given in this story can be done without taking help from a personal trainer. However, any strength exercises for seniors like leg extensions or leg curls should be performed under the supervision of a trainer only.

In case of elderly who have undergone a hip replacement surgery or any other joint replacement surgery, the stretching exercises should be done under the guidance of a physical therapist only.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only. Always consult a physician before starting any physical fitness program in order to reduce the risk of injury.