Although stretching and lifting weights are beneficial at any age, older folks can particularly benefit from these activities.

Concerns regarding strength, balance, and mobility increase with age. But including stretching and resistance training in your programme can help you stay fit and powerful.


Uncertain about where to begin? Continue reading for a lesson on how ageing impacts your body and how exercise can help, as well as a home workout and stretching programme.

How do our bodies change as we age? 

Even if age is merely a number, ageing does cause various physical changes that can have an impact on our health. They consist of:

Decreased range of motion

Have you noticed that your hips, knees, or shoulders don't move as freely as they once did? Due to connective tissue changes, arthritis, loss of muscle mass, and other factors, your range of motion—or the total range of motion that a joint can produce—decreases as you age.

By how much?

Researchers examined the flexibility of the hip flexion and shoulder abduction in persons aged 55 to 86 in a study that was published in the Journal of Ageing Research.

However, they also emphasised that in older persons who are typically healthy, the age-related loss of flexibility has little impact on day-to-day activities. They discovered that the flexibility of the shoulder and hip joints decreased among the research participants by about 6 degrees every decade.

Strength loss

Strength loss is another sign of ageing.

Older studies discovered that beyond age 30, muscle mass declines by about 3-8% every decade, and this rate rises after age 60.


After age 50, according to more recent studies, the rate of muscle atrophy was closer to 1% per year, which, when taken into account over time, has an exponential (constantly growing) effect.


As we age, our muscles lose strength and mass, a condition known as sarcopenia. There are a number of reasons for this decline in muscle mass, including

hormone adjustments

a drop in activity

an imbalanced, low-calorie, low-protein diet


Sarcopenia is a significant issue to treat as you age since it has a strong correlation with falls and general weakness.


Decreased balance

There is a reason if your balance has changed from what it formerly was.


You stay balanced by using:


how well you see

the inner ear structures that make up your vestibular system

the spine, ankles, and knees provide feedback.

As you go about your day, these systems communicate with your brain to help your body stay balanced.

But as you get older, these signals don't go across as well. Your joints become less mobile, your eyesight deteriorates, and your cognitive function begins to degrade.

Summary:

 Although you may feel young at heart, growing older has many physical effects, such as loss of strength, decreased range of motion, and loss of balance.

The importance of strength training as we age


Consistent strength training should be a part of your weekly routine if you want to avoid age-related physical issues and preserve your strength, balance, and range of motion.

Older adults can gain from strength training by:


Bone density growth. Strength training stresses your bones because of the movement and force patterns, which triggers bone-forming cells to get to work. As a result, bone becomes more robust and dense.

Gaining more muscle.  More muscle translates to greater strength, better coordination, and a faster metabolism. According to one study, older persons who participated in a training programme saw a 30% increase in their muscular mass and strength.

Improving functionality and balance.  Strong muscles help you perform better throughout the day. After all, performing tasks that demand balance, flexibility, and strength include sitting down in a chair, reaching up to grab something from a shelf, and even tying your shoes. And these advantages translate into a decreased risk of falls or other severe injuries, especially for older persons.

Body composition improvement.  In particular as we age, maintaining muscle mass is crucial to reducing the likelihood of obesity.

Raising the standard of living.  When older persons engage in regular resistance training, their psychosocial wellbeing frequently improves.


SUMMARY

With ageing, strength training has various advantages, such as enhanced functionality, increased bone density, and improved body composition.


The importance of mobility as we age

How readily a joint may move over its range of motion is referred to as mobility. Can you, for instance, bend your knee and then fully extend it without any hesitation or discomfort? If yes, your knees show good range of motion.

Mobility is distinct from flexibility, which is the temporary stretching capacity of your muscles and other connective tissues, as it requires moving joints.

Maintaining mobility is crucial for independence at any age, but it becomes increasingly critical as we become older.

The National Institute on Ageing (NIH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that older people who become less mobile


are less likely to stay in their current homes.

have increased incidence of illness, incapacity, hospitalisation, and mortality

a lesser standard of living


SUMMARY

As you age, maintaining your mobility is crucial. Injuries and a lower quality of life in general might result from limited mobility.



The first step in preventing or postponing the beginning of many age-related diseases is committing to and maintaining an at-home strength training programme.

The best part is that it doesn't have to be difficult or take a lot of time.

Your home workout regimen should include:

Include three weekly sessions.  Include three days a week of 20 to 30 minutes of strength exercise. You may exercise at home without much gear and yet get great benefits.

Use all of your body.  To get the most out of each workout, combine movements for the upper body, lower body, and core.

Be dependable.  Your results will be better the more frequently you strength train.


6 strength exercises to try at home


Combine these six strength-training moves for a complete and efficient full-body workout.

Exercises should be performed in 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions, unless otherwise stated.

One-leg balance

Being proactive about improving your balance is essential because it deteriorates as you age. To determine any imbalances you may have, start with this one-legged exercise:

1. If you require balance, place yourself near to a chair or a wall.

2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.

3. Hold where your right leg creates a 90-degree angle while bending your knee and raising your right foot off the floor behind you.

4. After 30 seconds, hold, then switch to your left leg.

5. Finish two holds, one on each side.


Squat

The squat is a powerful workout that can help you prepare for daily life as well as build muscle. You will gain from squatting if you ever sit on a chair. This is how you do it:

1. With your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart, point them slightly outward.

2.  As if sitting in a chair, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower yourself until your               thighs are parallel to the ground or as near to it as possible. Throughout the exercise,                     maintain  a lifted, high chest.

3.  Return to the starting position by pushing up steadily with your entire foot.


Wall pushup


One of the best workouts for building upper body strength is the pushup, which can be done without any special equipment. If you want a greater challenge, start on a wall and then do a pushup while kneeling. This is how you do it:


1. Put yourself in a plank position with your feet around 3 to 4 feet from the wall and your hands        at shoulder height on the wall.

2. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles while bending your elbows to        go closer to the wall. Maintain a 45-degree angle between your elbows and your body.

3. Return to your starting position by pushing back.

Resistance band row


For example, having a strong back is essential for having excellent posture. Here, a resistance band can be used to develop those muscles:

1. Grab a resistance band and step on it with both feet while holding a handle in each hand.

2. Cross the handles and make a 45-degree hinge at the waist.

3. While keeping your back straight, row the handles up towards your chest while sending your elbows back and up. At the top, tighten the muscles in your upper back.

4. Take a moment, then gradually resume your release.

Bird dog

Bird dog will put your entire body to the test and is a blessing for stability and balance.

1. Get down on all fours and position yourself such that your knees are under your hips and your hands are      under your shoulders.

2. Extend your right arm and left leg at the same time while maintaining a neutral neck position. Keep your        hips square to the ground at all times. At the peak, pause.

3. Repeat with your left arm and right leg, then go back to the beginning.

Glute bridge


Glute bridges are a quick and efficient exercise for the posterior chain, or the rear of your body. Dumbbells can be put to your hips if you want more resistance.


1. Lay on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground to begin. Your arms ought to be at your sides,        relaxed.

2. Up through your feet while bracing your core, lift your butt off the floor until your hips are fully                    stretched. At the top, squeeze your glutes.

3. Pause for a moment, then slowly restart.


Stretching is another exercise that can help with physical age-related diseases, along with strength training.
Your stretching routine at home should:

Three times every week, last at least five minutes.  Long-term improvements in flexibility and mobility can be shown after even brief sessions of exercise when they are performed consistently.

Be dependable.  The more frequently you stretch, the better your outcomes will be, much like with weight training. Whatever works for you is important; whether you stretch first thing in the morning or set aside time before night.

Don't go overboard.  Stretching your muscles just enough to feel them is different from going too far. When you encounter resistance during a stretch, don't force it; instead, stay still and let the stretch do its work. Additionally, our bodies need time to rest in between workouts; if necessary, work your way up to daily stretching.


Use these five exercises to stretch out your entire body and increase your flexibility and mobility.

Hold each stretch for around 30 seconds total, if not stated otherwise. Try to elongate the stretch as you concentrate on breathing deeply (deep intake, deep exhale).

Hamstring stretch

To keep your hips moving freely, it's crucial to stretch your hamstrings, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting down. This is how you do it:

1. Put a step or another flat, raised surface in front of you to position yourself. You should have a foot or so        between yourself and the step.

2. Set one heel down on the step and slant your hips forward at a 45-degree angle.

3. Leaning forward to get a deeper stretch, feel your hamstrings being stretched.

Seated hip stretch

Keeping these muscles and joints flexible is crucial since walking and other daily actions depend on hip functionality. Try this sitting stretch:

1. Take a seat in a chair and lean over the side. Your back should be straight, and your feet should be flat on      the ground.

2. Bend your left leg and place your right ankle on your left knee.


3. In order to feel the stretch in your hip, lean a little forward.


Chest opener

With this chest-opening stretch, you can prevent the forward-leaning posture:

1. Take a seat in a chair and lean over the side. Your back should be straight, and your feet should be flat on      the ground.

2. Your shoulders should be lowered while you interlace your fingers behind your back and extend your            chest upward.

Side-lying thoracic rotation

If you notice your shoulders hunching forward, this rotation will target and relax your upper body and is a good stretch:

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your arms at your sides.

2. As you bend your torso to the left, raise your right arm above your head.

3. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then switch arms and return to the centre.

The bottom line

Strength exercising and stretching regularly, even for brief periods three times a week, can greatly aid in postponing or preventing many age-related illnesses. Start out slowly and watch as your mobility, balance, and strength increase.

How we reviewed this article:

Our experts closely follow the health and wellness sector, and as fresh material is made available, we update our articles.

Written By

Basharat JAN

Edited By

Bisha 

Medically Reviewed By

HEALTH INFO

Copy Edited By

BIsha BHAi