Back to The Human Body Posture Specifically for the Elderly

Refer also to Strength Exercises, Aerobic Exercises, Finger, Hand & Wrist Exercises, and Facial & Neck Exercises.

Important Note: It is recommended that these exercise routines be discussed with your personal Physician before commencing. Should you experience the slightest pain (excluding the feeling of slight “pulling” on the muscles whilst stretching) you should stop immediately.

Exercise # 1. Stand upright feet shoulder width apart. As a start, place a chair on your left side and lightly hold on to the backrest for balance. Now bend the left knee slightly and move the right foot forward up to say a meter, then back to the start position, then out to the right and back to start, and then backwards and back to start. That completes one repetition. Repeat 5 times on each side, slowly increasing the number of repetitions up to 12 each side and then do 2 sets.

Exercise # 2. Wide stance squats requires you to open the legs wide with the toes pointing outwards at 45 degrees. Place a chair in front of you so that you can hold on to the back for balance. Keeping the back straight, lower the buttocks directly towards the floor for a quarter squat – lower the hips about 30 cms. Then rise up to the start position. Repeat 6 times, rest for a few seconds and repeat. Slowly increase each set for up to 12 repetitions for 2 sets.

Exercise # 3. Sit on the FitBall (Stability Ball) whilst holding on to the back of a chair for balance on either the left or right side. Now move the ball slightly forward and back, controlling the movement with the CORE muscle group – the pelvis, hip, lower back and abdominal areas. The feet will be on the floor extended in front of you. Repeat 6 – 8 times. Rest and repeat again.

Exercise # 4.Sit on the FitBall (Stability Ball) whilst holding on to the back of a chair for balance on either the left or right side. Now lift the one leg with knee bent as high as is comfortable. Repeat 6 times and then do the same with the other leg. Repeat again for both legs.

Exercise # 5. Again holding on to a chair or similar object to your left side, lift the right knee to the front as high as possible. Repeat for 6 repetitions. Then change over to the left leg. Inhale before starting and then exhale as you raise the leg and inhale as the leg is lowered. Repeat for 2 sets. Slowly increase the number of repetitions to your maximum. Keep the upper body straight and use the CORE to assist you with power and balance.

Exercise # 6. – Lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend the knees and place the calves and back of the knees on to the FitBall. Place the hands behind your head and inhale. Then exhale whilst raising the upper body and head towards the ceiling. Slowly lower to the start position. Repeat 6 times, rest and repeat again.

Exercise # 7. Get yourself in to a “doggy” position on all fours. Take a deep breath in through the nose whilst extending the abdominal section downwards towards to floor – as if you were blowing up a balloon in the tummy. Then exhale whilst extending the lower back as far up towards the ceiling a possible. Do at least 10 – 15 repetitions.

Exercise # 8. Whilst on all fours, extend the right arm forward and parallel to the floor & in front of you whilst extending the left leg backwards, trying to hold the leg as parallel to floor as possible. Inhale before the lift, exhale on the way to the extension and inhale again on the way back to the start position.

Exercise # 9. Stand upright and whilst moving around in a slow relaxed walk, extend the arms to your sides up to mid-chest height. With the palms facing towards each other, elbows slightly bent, cross the arms over in front of the chest and then extend them out to the starting point. Try to place some resistance on the movement as if you were trying to squeeze the chest muscles together on the forward movement and the back muscles together on the backward movement. Do at least 6 repetitions, rest for a few seconds and then repeat.

Exercise # 10. Using the same principal as in # 9, extend the arms forward and back alternatively, bringing them up to above shoulder height going forward and as close to waist high as possible going back. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

Exercise # 11. Pelvic Raise - Lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the upper outside of each buttocks. Inhale through the nose, and then exhale whilst squeezing the buttocks and pushing the hips upward, trying to form a straight line from the knees to the shoulders. Return to the start position whilst breathing in and repeat the sequence again. Do 6 repetitions to start, slowly increasing the repetitions to 12 per set for 2 sets.

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