Back Exercises For Seniors

Every decade after the age of 25, persons experience a 3 to 5 percent loss in total muscle mass, according to the American Council on Exercise. Additionally, age depletes calcium storage in the bones, making seniors vulnerable to breaks and injuries. Weight-bearing exercises strengthen a senior's body and combat muscular depreciation and bone fragility. Back exercises for seniors contribute to improvements in posture, joint health, range of motion and performance of activities of daily living.

Seated Resistance Band Row

Wrap the resistance band around something heavy (a sturdy chair), use a door attachment to secure the band or ask a friend to hold on to the middle of it. Place a chair 3 feet away from the object. Sit on the edge of the chair and hold one of the band's handles in each hand. Sit up straight and rest both feet on the ground. Contract your abdominal muscles and relax your shoulders. Pull your shoulder blades down and together. Maintain this tension throughout the exercise. Lift your arms until they are parallel to the ground. Turn your hands so that your palms are facing one another. Straighten your arms and keep a soft bend in your elbows. Pull the handles towards you. Stop when the handles are next to your chest and your elbows cannot go further behind your body. Return your arms to straight and repeat until you complete 12 repetitions. To increase resistance, move the sitting chair farther away from the band's anchor.

Quadruped

Kneel on a mat. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Straighten your back and maintain a neutral spine during the exercise; don't let your back arch or droop. Lift your right arm straight in front of your body, stopping when it is parallel to the ground. Lift your left leg and straighten it, stopping when it is parallel to the ground. Hold your right arm and left leg in the air for 15 seconds. Angle your hips directly above the ground; adjust them if they twist or rotate during the exercise. Return to start and do the same with the opposite hand and leg.

Superman

Lie face-down on a mat. Glue your legs (press them together) to one another and point your toes away from your body. Straighten and extend your arms directly over your head, resting them on the mat. Look down at the mat and relax your neck and head throughout the exercise. Simultaneously, lift your arms and legs off of the mat. Stop when you feel a slight tension in your lower back. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then release your arms and legs.