At-home Seniors Workout

Seniors Fitness

by Jaime Bromley- BScKin, ACE-CPT, SF, OE

October 1^st is National Seniors day here in Canada, which gives us the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate this diverse group. Recently Stats Canada has reported that nearly one in seven Canadians is aged 65 or over, and by 2036, nearly one in four Canadians will be a senior¹.

This article aims to give you a brief introduction to simple exercises you can implement in your daily routines to help you make every movement count. (Remember, as with any habit, consistency is key, so move often!)

Exercise is vital to maintaining healthy joints. As you age, your muscle mass begins to decrease, and if you do not exercise, your joints ends up doing the bulk of the work. When this cycle continues, that is when pain and discomfort arise.

Some other benefits of exercise, to name a few, are to increase/maintain good range of motion, maintain a healthy weight, strengthen bones, decrease stress, reduce pain, decrease stiffness in joints, and improve balance!

*** Make sure to talk with your doctor before, if exercise is new to you***

As with any level of fitness, warming your muscles prior to exercise is important. When you are 65 plus, it becomes even more so. Be sure to warm up the muscles sufficiently so that no injuries occur.

Warm up:

Perform 3 times through. If balance is a concern, have a chair or wall close by.

Marching in place 30 seconds

Arm Circles 10 in each direction

Calf Raise (Heel Lift) 10 repetitions

Workout:

Below are 4 Body Weight/Resistance band exercises you can do anywhere!

1. Sit to Stand: Using a chair, feet shoulder width apart with weight in your heels, slowly perform a squat down to the chair. Shift weight to your backside then slowly return to standing position. The trick: make sure to not use your hands!
2. What does it work: Glutes on the way down, Quads on the way up!
3. Hip Hinge: Begin with feet shoulder width apart with knees only slightly bent, holding a dowel behind your head with two hands, making sure to stand up straight so the bar is in contact with the back of your head, and above your tailbone. Shift your weight onto your heels, push hips back and hinge forward at the hips. Picture yourself bowing to greet someone.
4. What does it work: Glutes, Hamstring, Core
5. Resistance Band Row: Hooking a band (which you can buy from us at Kinesis) to a doorknob. Face the door; stand up straight with knees slightly bent holding tense band in one hand with arm extended. Slowly pull band towards you, like you were pinching your shoulder blades together. Move closer or farther away if you need more/less tension.
6. What it works: Core, upper back
7. Palloff Press: Position your resistance band at shoulder height if possible, but leaving it on the doorknob works fine too. Facing out to the side grab band with both hands, making sure you have constant tension on the band. Press band away from your chest, slowly bring back.
8. What it works: Core, Shoulders

If you are interested in learning more about Seniors Fitness, or are want a personalized program, please do not hesitate to book in with Jaime today!

For more warm up and workout material, check out our YouTube videos with Jaime!

1. The Daily, Wednesday, September 17, 2014; Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2009 to 2036; Canadian Demographics at a Glance.