Home exercise for seniors

Author: Lynn X. Li, MScOT Candidate

Reviewer: Dr. Grace Lee, MD

Neck Exercises

You should be gentle and slow when doing neck exercises. Please seek advice from your family doctor before proceeding if you have numbness on your upper extremities or head discomfort, such as dizziness. Please also talk to your doctor if you have any doubts about the intensity of each exercise, such as repetition and duration which should depend on your strength and tolerance.

First of all, you should sit in a comfortable chair and keep a good sitting posture.

1) Sitting nice and tall, slowly lift your head to the ceiling. You can hold at the end position for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position. Raising your head can improve Flat neck syndrome. Bring your chin to your chest and feel the stretch of your back muscles. You can also hold the position for 2-3 seconds.

Picture 1 – Neck Exercises 1

2) Turn your head to the left and look over your left shoulder. Hold 2-3 seconds. Return to the neutral position and then turn your head to your right. Hold 2-3 seconds.

Picture 2 – Neck Exercises 2

3) Bring your left ear to your left shoulder and hold 2-3 seconds. You should feel the stretching on the right side of your neck. Then bring your right ear to your right shoulder, hold 2-3 seconds and feel the stretching on the left side of your neck.

Picture 3 – Neck Exercises 3

Shoulders Exercises

1) Shoulder shrug：Continue to keep a good sitting posture. Bring your shoulder up, which looks like a shoulder shrug. However, you should keep your shoulders in the same plane as your upper body. That means only bring your shoulder up but not bring them forward. Then put them down. You can practice in multiple repetitions.

2) Scapula retraction：Bring your shoulder back and squeeze your shoulder blaze. Push your shoulder blazes towards your spine. You should avoid shrugging your shoulder while doing this exercise.

Arm Exercises

While doing exercise for upper extremities, you can choose a standing or sitting position, with or without resistance depend on your strength and tolerance. please do not hesitate to seek advice from your doctor.

1) Bicep curls：The arm consists of two parts. The one above the elbow is called the upper arm and the one below the elbow is called forearm. While doing this exercise, you should keep your upper arm close to your body and bend your forearm. Also, you should avoid shrugging your shoulder to compensate. If you don’t have dumbbells, you can use bottled water or other objects to replace dumbbells when you need to use resistance. Do not use resistance for weak arms.

2) Lateral arm raises: Putting both arms on your side as your starting position, lift your arms to your shoulder level with palms facing down. Then slowly put arms down to the starting position. You can hold weights in your hands or not use weight depending on your arm strength.

Leg Exercises

1) Lateral kicking: If you have balance issues or safety concerns, please use a chair to support yourself while you do this exercise. Please stand behind the chair and hold it with your hands. Kick to your left/right side with toes towards forward. You should also try the best to keep the upper body as straight as possible and avoid any spine compensations. This is a good exercise to gain strength in the gluteus medius. Gluteus medius plays an important role in keeping pelvic neural and maintaining a normal gait.

2) Backward Kicking: Putting your hands on the chair for support, kick your leg backwards. Likewise, you should keep the upper body straight and avoid leaning forward or to the side. It is a good exercise for gluteus maximus, which is one of the strongest muscles and important for leg movements.

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References Picture 1: https://apsrus.ru/en/osnovnye-metody-pomogayushchie-rasslabit-myshcy-shei-kak/ Picture 2: https://apsrus.ru/en/osnovnye-metody-pomogayushchie-rasslabit-myshcy-shei-kak/ Picture 3: https://apsrus.ru/en/osnovnye-metody-pomogayushchie-rasslabit-myshcy-shei-kak/

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These presentations are intended for general information purposes only. Audience are recommended to consult with qualified medical healthcare provider and obtain professional advice and subsequent management for your particular conditions. The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Assisting in Medical Expectations.