10 Best Leg Strengthening Exercises For Seniors

Charles

2 months ago

Leg Strengthening Exercises For Seniors

Leg strengthening exercises for seniors are important for maintaining health and preventing injury. These 10 effective leg strengthening exercises will help senior citizens maintain their fitness levels.

An often overlooked area of fitness for seniors is the importance of leg strengthening exercises. The fact is, the majority of falls for senior citizens are due to a trip or unsteady step while reaching for something at the top of the stairs or down the stairs. Therefore, it is imperative to make sure that seniors are maintaining their overall fitness levels by including at least one leg strengthening exercise into their routine. This will help protect against potential injury while maintaining adequate mobility.

Keep in mind that these are just effective leg strengthening exercises for seniors. And, while these are challenging for many people, keep in mind that the body adapts to exercise very quickly so start slow and increase your intensity level gradually. Remember, you can always pick up your pace if needed because you want to avoid the risk of injury while maintaining proper form.

This post will focus on 10 effective leg strengthening exercises that can be done at home for seniors. The exercises should be done in the order listed to maximize results.

Benefits of Having Strong Legs

Aging gracefully does not have to mean the loss of mobility. Seniors can maintain their mobility by taking time for leg strengthening exercises. Here are a few advantages of leg strengthening exercises for seniors:

A strong lower body increases balance reduces the risk of falls, increases mobility, improves overall fitness, and boosts the immune system. Exercise is the best prevention and treatment of lower body and joint pain and arthritis. For seniors, regular exercise can reduce or eliminate the need for insulin and medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Furthermore, one of the major benefits of having strong legs is that it helps prevent the risk of osteoporosis. Scientific research has shown that strength training in the lower extremities can decrease the risk of osteoporosis by as much as 50% so it is imperative to include a few leg strengthening exercises into your routine if you have been diagnosed with this condition.

Tip: Staying active is the best way to avoid osteoporosis. The healthier you are, the stronger your bones will become. Also, if you are an athlete or involved in some kind of high-impact activity, then you should also be doing leg strengthening exercises.

If you are looking to improve your leg strength and endurance, check out this article on alternating between running and walking. By switching up the intensity of your workout, you can build muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance while reducing the risk of injury. Plus, this method is great for seniors who may not be able to run for extended periods of time.

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STRENGTH EXERCISE 1: SQUAT

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), thighs (quads), hips, calves, core and back.

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

HOW TO:

Standing up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Holding onto your chair with both hands.
Hinging at the hips and sitting back as if you were sitting on a chair.
As you sit back, go no deeper than 90 degrees and as you stand back up.
Put equal weight through both legs.
Make sure your knees don’t go over the line of your toes and they aren’t moving inward throughout the exercise.
Repeat for the set repetitions.

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: This exercise can be made more challenging by using no hands, resistance bands, dumbbells, barbell.

EASIER VARIATION – PARTIAL SQUAT

Perform this variation if you have difficulty or get pain with the standard squat.

DIFFICULTY: Easy

HOW TO:

Standing up tall with your feet shoulder width apart.
Holding onto your chair with both hands.
Hinging at the hips and sitting back as if you were sitting on a chair.
Only go to a depth of about 45 degrees before you come back up.
Put equal weight through both legs.
Make sure your knees don’t go over the line of your toes and the aren’t moving inward throughout the exercise.
Repeat for the set repetitions.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 2: SIT-TO-STAND

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), thighs (quads), hips, calves, core and back.

DIFFICULTY: Easy to Moderate (depending on hand use)

HOW TO:

Sitting up tall in your chair, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Shuffle forward to the front of your chair.
From this position, bringing your feet back, so your heels are behind your knees.
With your hands on the chair, on the arm-rests of the chair, or on your thighs, you’re going to lean forward at the hips so your nose comes over your toes.
Now stand up putting equal weight through both feet/legs.
Make sure you fully extend your legs at the knees and the hips.
And to sit down, hinging at the hips, reaching for the chair and sitting down.
Make sure to keep your chest up throughout the exercise.
Repeat for the set repetitions.
Also, make sure that your knees remain in line with your toes, and they don’t move inwards when you sit down and stand up.

EASIER VARIATION: This exercise can be made easier by using arms to assist or using a higher chair.

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: This exercise can be made more challenging by using no hands, using a lower chair or adding in in dumbbells or resistance bands.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 3: CHAIR DEADLIFT

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), thighs (quads), hips, calves, core and back.

DIFFICULTY: Harder

HOW TO:

Place your resistance band flat on the floor.
Sitting up tall towards the front of your chair.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the resistance band and face your toes slightly outwards and keep your knees in line with your toes.
Reach down and grab hold of your resistance band and maintain your upright posture with your shoulders back and down and your chest up.
Also maintain straight arms whilst holding onto the resistance band, and keep your shoulders back and down in good posture whilst holding onto the resistance band.
Loosen or tighten the resistance band as needed to work your strength.
From this position, whilst only holding onto the resistance, stand up, just like the sit to stand exercise now holding onto the resistance band.
Ensure you completely straighten your knees and hips and squeezing your buttocks when you come to the top of the movement.
Now slowly sit back down.
Keep equal weight through both legs throughout the exercise and make sure your knees aren’t moving inward throughout the exercise.
Repeat for the set repetitions.

EASIER VARIATION: Lighter weight/resistance.

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using Heavier resistance bands, Using no chair, using a barbell.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 4: REVERSE LUNGE

The Reverse Lunge is a great exercise as it trains single leg strength. We are exercising one leg at a time, helping to ensure both our legs are getting stronger. This is good for activities such as walking stairs.

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), thighs (quads), hips, calves, core and back.

DIFFICULTY: Harder

HOW TO:

Standing up tall, with both hands on the chair.
Take a large step directly backwards and drop down just before the floor.
Come back up and repeat for the opposite leg.
Keep your body upright throughout the exercise, ensuring the knee of your front foot does not come past the line of your toes.
Repeat for the set repetitions.

EASIER VARIATION: Don’t go as low to the floor

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using no chair, using dumbbells, using a light barbell.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 5: CALF RAISES (Up On Toes)

MUSCLES WORKED

Back of lower legs (Calves).

DIFFICULTY: Easy

HOW TO:

Standing up tall with your feet about hip width apart.
Keeping your knees straight and holding onto the chair with both hands.
Coming up on to the toes, raising your heels up off the floor, holding briefly and slowly lowering yourself back down.
Repeat for the set repetitions.

EASIER VARIATION: Seated

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using no chair, using dumbbells.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 6: HIP ABDUCTIONS (Leg Sideways – Straight)

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), thighs (TFL)

DIFFICULTY: Easy

HOW TO:

Standing tall with your feet close together and holding on to your chair.
Slowly bring your leg out to the side and in a controlled motion bringing your feet back together.
Ensure you keep your toes facing the front throughout this exercise, also make sure that you do not lean during this exercise or hitch your pelvis.
Repeat for the set repetitions and change legs.

EASIER VARIATION: Seated

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using no chair, using resistance bands

STRENGTH EXERCISE 7: HIP EXTENSIONS (Leg BACKWARDS – Straight)

DIFFICULTY: Easy

MUSCLES WORKED

Buttocks (glutes), and back of the thighs (hamstrings).

HOW TO:

Placing both hands on your chair and standing up tall.
Keeping your legs straight slowly bring it back behind you and then bring your feet back together.
Repeat for the set number of repetitions and do the same on the opposite leg.

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using resistance bands, ankle weights.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 8: KNEE FLEXIONS (KNEE BACK BENDS)

MUSCLES WORKED

Back of the thighs (Hamstrings).

DIFFICULTY: Easy

HOW TO:

Standing up tall, holding onto your chair, with your feet close together.
Bending your leg at the knee, lifting your foot up towards your buttocks, holding briefly and returning your foot back to the ground.
Repeat for the set repetitions and do the same on the opposite leg.

PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using resistance bands, ankle weights.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 9: SEATED KNEE EXTENSIONS (Knee Straightens)

MUSCLES WORKED

Quadriceps (Thighs)

DIFFICULTY: Easy

HOW TO:

Sitting up tall with your shoulders back and down.
Lifting one leg up, extending at the knee.
Hold briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing the muscles at the front of the thigh before lowering your leg back down.
Ensure the movement is slow and controlled.
Alternate legs, ensuring full knee extension (leg completely straight).
Repeat for the set repetitions.

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PROGRESSING THE EXERCISE: Using resistance bands, ankle weights.

STRENGTH EXERCISE 10: SEATED HIP ADDUCTIONS (Thigh Squeezes)

DIFFICULTY: Easy

MUSCLES WORKED

Groin/inner thighs (Hip Adductors)

HOW TO

Sitting up tall, in your chair, shuffle forward to the middle of the chair.
In this position, using a cushion or a rolled up towel, place the item between your knees.
Bring your feet in, ensuring they are in line with your knees.
Whilst holding the cushion lightly with your knees, you’re now going to squeeze the cushion using your knees.
Hold this for 5 seconds and relax.
Repeat for the set repetitions.