5 Ways to Improve Stability for a Senior and 3 Essential Stretches You Need to Know

For many seniors, stability is a huge problem. This is because if you aren’t stable and able to maintain your balance well, you are more likely to fall. For seniors, falling is dangerous because with weaker bones and joints, serious injuries are likely. Fortunately, there are a number of things that seniors can do to improve stability.

Here are 5 ways to improve stability for a senior:

1. Balance Exercises

By far the best way that you can improve your stability at any age is to regularly engage in balance exercises. There are quite a few balance exercises to choose from that will help you strengthen the right muscles so that you can walk with more confidence and stability.

Some balance exercises will require you to use various pieces of exercise equipment such as dumbbells and balance balls, but others don’t need anything other than your body. That makes it easy to do balance exercises no matter where you are!

2. Stretching Exercises

This is another type of exercise that you can do to improve stability as a senior. Stretching exercises help to increase the range of motion in joints which can ease the pain of arthritis. In turn, this can stabilize your joints and improve your overall stability. Like balance exercises, there are plenty that you can do that don’t require any equipment.

3. Activity

The old adage that “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is true when it comes to how active you are. If you want to maintain and improve your stability, you need to stay active and keep using your whole body. This will help you in more ways than just improving stability.

Staying active as a senior can also help you avoid common conditions that the elderly often face such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and heart disease. If you are overweight, getting more active will help you lose weight which will improve your overall health condition.

4. Good Shoes

You would be surprised at what a good pair of shoes can do for your stability. In fact, the right pair of shoes could make the crucial difference between walking easily and risking falling just by making a trip from the couch to the fridge.

Good shoes provide stability because they give you a flat surface to walk on and plenty of cushion so you have some room for error when you place your foot down. They will also make walking around significantly more comfortable which reduces foot, knee, hip, and even back pain associated with poor foot support.

5. Walking Aids

Ask your doctor if a walking aid is right for you to help improve your stability. He or she will be able to prescribe you the right level of assistance when it comes to walking aids. For some people, these walking aids are only temporary help that can improve stability by allowing you to be more active as you build up your muscles to be able to walk unassisted again.

If you’re a senior and concerned about your stability, then get started on following these tips today to be able to keep enjoying your life!

Essential Stretches You Need to Know

When it comes to stretching, there are innumerable stretches that you can do, all of which can help you become more flexible, increase mobility, and reduce muscle and joint pain. But, with so many to choose from, it can be hard to know which ones to do.

Of course if you have a certain part of your body that you want to focus on, then you can do various stretches for that part of the body. However, if you’re looking for stretches that help your entire body, then there are a few other ones that you’ll need to do.

Here are 3 essential stretches you need to know:

Side Bend

This stretch will stretch out your abdominal, back, and lateral muscles as well as your hips.

Begin the stretch from a standing position with your feet in line with your shoulders. Reach your hands over your head and press the palms of your hands together as high as you can reach. Take a deep breath in and pull your spine as straight and tall as you can manage.

As you exhale, bend your body to the right so that you can feel the stretch through your arm and down your left side. Be sure to maintain a good form by keeping your arms and upper body in the same position. Hold the pose for 60 seconds, maintaining deep breathing throughout. Then, return to an upright position as you exhale and do the same thing to the left.

Although not quite as effective, this stretch can also be done from a chair.

Chest Opener

This stretch focuses on your chest muscles, triceps, and shoulders.

Begin from a standing or sitting position. Then, reach your arms behind your head, clasping your hands at the back of your head. As you take a deep breath in, lift your chest as you pull your elbows back and keep your hands anchored behind your head.

Relax your position slightly as you exhale, then continue to stretch your chest and arm muscles further with each subsequent breath. You should maintain this pose for 10 slow breaths or 60 seconds.

Quad Stretch

Use this stretch to improve range of motion in your knees and to stretch out your quadriceps.

While standing, lift your right foot up and grab it with your right hand at the ankle. Gently pull your heel to your glute until you can feel the stretch in the front of your leg. Keep your knees as close together as you hold the pose for 60 seconds. Once you finish on one side, you can do the same with the left leg.

This pose can only be done while standing. If you are worried about maintaining balance during this stretch, you can hold onto a sturdy piece of furniture or use a wall to steady yourself while performing this essential stretch.

By doing these 3 essential stretches every day, you will quickly see improvements in these parts of the body in terms of flexibility and mobility.