Bone mass and muscle decrease with age, as can balance and neuromuscular coordination. Resistance training should be done two to three days a week to stay healthy and slow or even reverse loss. Resistance training helps seniors keep their independence too. The National Academy of Sports Medicine says that seniors should start slow and work up to three sets of eight to 20 repetitions of exercises. Using an exercise ball improves balance while you increase lean body mass. Exercises should start with support and progress to free sitting.
Hip Circles
Hip circles on an exercise ball is a core exercise that strengthens your abdominals and waist muscles. You may have someone kneel behind you and hold the sides of the ball to stabilize you or you can sit sideways on the ball next to a railing and hold on for support. Work up to doing this exercise free sitting, which means without support. Sit on the exercise ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands next to your sides on the ball with your elbows bent slightly. Shift your hips to the right and then rotate your hips around in a complete circle. Complete half a set and then rotate your hips in the opposite direction. Your feet stay glued to the floor the whole time.
Wall Squats
Wall squats for seniors offer resistance training for the legs. This exercise may be done holding onto a rail for support or with someone standing in front of you holding your arms to help you stay balanced. Eventually, you should aim to do the exercise with your hands on your hips and no assistance. Get into squat position with your back to a wall so that your feet point straight ahead and are about hip-width apart. Put an exercise ball against the back of your pelvis and push it against the wall. Step your feet forward slightly further than if your ankles were to align with your knees. Hold your upper body parallel to the wall. Then, slowly lower your hips and bend your knees. Incline your torso forward slightly so that at the bottom of your squat, the angle of your lower legs matches the angle of your torso. Reverse the motion to complete one repetition.
Lat Stretch
In addition to performing core and resistance training exercises, you can use the ball for flexibility training. NASM recommends three to seven days a week of exercises for flexibility. To perform the lat stretch to target the large latissimus dorsi muscles of the back with an exercise ball, kneel on a thick mat behind an exercise ball. Align your upper legs to be perpendicular to the floor and rest your shins on the mat. Extend your right arm toward the ball and place your hand on the center of the ball with your thumb on top. Roll the ball away from you and lengthen your spine until you feel a stretch near your armpit. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the left side.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual"; Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
- HelpGuide.org: Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Optimum Performance Training for Seniors Course Manual; 2005; National Academy of Sports Medicine
- Shape Up With "Booming Seniors" Exercises (pdf)
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