5 Stretching Exercises for Seniors to Help to Improve Mobility

Everyone, no matter what their age, needs to stay flexible and maintain a good range of motion. This is because being flexible can decrease a person's risk of injury from falls and can significantly enhance their quality of life. When people age they tend to decrease their activity levels and for the some people this can start as early as retirement and then increase as the years go by. For other people this can start with a serious medical condition that limits their ability to get out and maintain the activity level they once did. This means many people become sedimentary and their activity level and mobility decreases significantly.

Stretching exercises however can not only strengthen a person, but can also increase their flexibility and improve their activity level. For many seniors who live alone it can be extremely hard to move around, especially when they start to have health conditions such as arthritis or gout. Stretching exercises offer seniors a way to stay limber enough to move more comfortably, not only outside of their homes but inside as well.

1. Simply limbering up in the mornings can help a person move about easier. Seniors should always take their time getting up and about in the mornings. Allowing for adequate time to adjust to waking up and getting their sea legs so to speak. However once they have adjusted to being up, seniors should take the time to gradually stretch their bodies and limber up.

2. Start a simple stretching routine each morning and follow it daily if possible. One way is to hold a towel using both hands and while holding the towel stretch it over your head and bend over from side to side. Then while holding the towel lean forward in front of you and bend down as far as you can. Then raise up to a standing position and lean back as much as you can, even a little stretch is better than none.

3. Another way is to hold on to the back of a chair and slowly lift one foot out in front of you and then hold it out behind you, much like a pendulum motion. Turn around and while holding the chair do the same motion to the other leg lifting it in front and then to the back.

4. Another good stretching exercise and mobility exercise is to rotate your arms in small circles out from the sides of your body, the arms should be outstretched like you are trying to touch two walls. Although this exercise may look easy it can be difficult, start with small circles getting bigger and then back to small circles. Don't overdo this exercise because many people do too much and then their arms hurt the next day.

5. Simple chores can also be a good way to do stretching exercises. Good examples of chores that can help a person with flexibility and stretching are emptying the dishwasher, putting clothes away, sweeping, making a bed, and putting stuff away in the cabinets. All of these chores require bending, moving and back and forth motion.

6. Even getting up and down and moving about more can help strengthen while allowing for stretching and flexibility. Many seniors love gardening and this hobby is a great way to stay flexible, because it requires a great deal of bending, getting down and getting up, as well as some lifting. Just remember this is a very demanding activity and should be done only in moderation. Always make sure you check with your physician about any limitations you may have.

It is also best to talk with your doctor before starting any exercise routine, many times your doctor can tell you what kind of physical activity is best for you and for how long it is safe for you to exercise especially if you have a medical condition that limits your activity level.

References for this article include:
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
www.eldergym.com/elderly-flexibility.html
seniors.lovetoknow.com