10 Best Leg Strengthening Exercises For Seniors

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.

Recommended: 10 Stretching Exercises for Seniors for Full-Body Flexibility

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.

Related: 12 Simple Leg Exercises For Seniors And The Elderly

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.

8 Great Knee Exercises for Strength and Pain Relief for Seniors

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.