Doing abdominal exercises after age 60 is recommended. The goal is no longer to have a harmonious physique and beautiful chocolate bars. For seniors, building up your abs helps limit back pain, have better support and feel better on a daily basis. However, it is imperative to do the right exercises so as not to injure yourself. How to proceed ? Here are 10 exercises that are easy to do!
The abdominal muscles play an important role. Together with the rib cage, they protect the vital organs. Among them, there are in particular:
You have to maintain your abs throughout your life, including after 60. Of course, we are not talking here about doing bodybuilding strictly speaking! For seniors, building abdominal muscles is essential. The exercises allow:
You should know that a muscular abdominal strap is also essential to ensure physiological functions. This is the case during vomiting for example. More generally, the approach makes it possible to prevent falls and to remain mobile as long as possible.
Before starting your session, it is highly recommended to warm up. To do this, stand upright and wake up your muscles starting from the upper body. Make rotational movements with your head, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips and finally your ankles. Try to touch your feet with your hands, keeping your legs straight. Squat down, stand up and take a deep breath. You can now do the following exercises.
Sheathing is a very simple but also very beneficial exercise. It is aimed at everyone and therefore at seniors. Even people who have weaknesses can do cladding exercises because they are not traumatic. The principle is simple, you have to lie on your stomach and rest on your toes and forearms. The whole body should be straight.
The sheathing time must be adapted to the condition of each person. It is necessary to start with a sheathing of 20 seconds. Once you are comfortable you can go to 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds and then 60 seconds. No need to go any further! One minute of sheathing every day is beneficial.
The readings are very classic exercises. Just lie on your back, bend your knees and then cross one leg over the other. Raise your bust towards your legs. No need to go very high. However, do it by contracting your muscles and not by forcing your shoulders and neck. Do 3 sets of 5 readings then move on to 3 sets of 10 readings. Switch legs between sets.
Side upstands are identical to classic upstands. You have to bend your knees but without bending one leg over the other. Raise your chest slightly then lean to one side then the other. You have to do 3 sets of 5 then, when you feel ready, 3 sets of 10.
Still lying on your back, bend your knees and place your arms along your body. Raise the pelvis so as to draw a straight line from the knees to the shoulders. Rest your pelvis by controlling the descent. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, the gluteal muscles and the thighs.
The exercise of the small dog is very easy. It is offered to pregnant women. Get on all fours and spread your legs slightly. The back should be straight. Take a deep breath and then try to pull in the navel. The back must remain straight. Take 5 breaths, then pause for 10 seconds before repeating.
The false thoracic inspiration is an exercise that allows you to work the abdominals in depth. It has a double utility since it also makes it possible to strengthen the pelvic floor, and therefore the perineum, and therefore to fight effectively against incontinence.
Lie on your back, being careful not to arch it. Exhale slowly contracting your perineum. You should have no more air to exhale. Hold your breath and take a false breath. Tuck in your belly! Slowly release and repeat.
Lie on your back and place your arms along your body. You should have your legs straight. Raise one leg to 90° then lower it, controlling the descent. Do the same with the other leg. Alternate for 30 seconds. Pause for 15 seconds then repeat. For the exercise to be more effective, you can elevate both legs and kick without touching the ground. Be careful not to dig your back! This exercise strengthens the abdominal strap and the thighs.
Lie on your back and raise your legs to 90°. Pedal for 1 minute, pause for 15 seconds and repeat. This exercise is as simple as it is effective. It can be done at the start of the session, just after the warm-up.
Side sit-ups are different from sit-ups. Indeed, to perform this exercise, you have to lie on your side. Support yourself on your forearm and raise both legs as high as possible, keeping your feet and legs together, then lower them while maintaining control. Do 3 sets of 5 releves then switch sides and do 3 sets of 5 releves again.
Here is a very pleasant exercise that is done standing up. Spread your legs hip-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Your pelvis must be mobile. Then, put on one of your favorite songs and then make movements in rhythm. Start by rocking the pelvis back and forth, then left to right. Finally, we must draw circles. A song lasts between 3 and 4 minutes, that's the duration of the exercise!
When you build your abdominal muscles through targeted exercises, it is imperative to take the right position and to contract the abdominal muscles well. If you use other muscles such as the shoulders or the neck, your posture is not good. Try to be accompanied by a professional during your first sessions, so you will know how to correct yourself later.
For floor exercises, it is a good idea to have a gym mat. If you perform the exercises on the floor, the pain will be there. This equipment is not expensive and offers a lot of comfort during weight training sessions. It is also essential to put on suitable and comfortable clothing.
Do not ignore the warm-up or the hydration. Before the session, you must warm up for at least 5 minutes. We told you above how to wake up your muscles. You should also stay hydrated before, during and after the session. This reduces the risk of body aches. If you have too much pain at the end of your sessions, make an appointment with your doctor to make sure that you have not injured yourself.
Although muscle strengthening sessions that target the abdominal strap are essential, they must be supplemented by physical activity sessions. As you probably know, it is highly recommended to walk every day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends taking 10,000 steps every day. However, with age, it is possible to reduce to 4,400 daily steps.
Other activities are possible such as cycling or swimming. In both cases, you can adapt the effort to your possibilities. The goal, of course, is to stay active. Depending on your needs and your motivation, you can perform sessions to strengthen your arms, back or legs. Gentle gymnastics and stretching can also be practiced to maintain good flexibility.
Finally, sports such as hiking, Nordic walking, petanque or ballroom dancing will get you moving while bringing you a lot of satisfaction.
