With aging, our joints are stiffer and prevent the fluidity of our movements, our muscle mass decreases and our gestures tend not to be as wide. We see it every day when, for example, we have trouble tying our shoes, carrying a heavy load, picking up an object, etc. But, fortunately, the lack of flexibility that can bother seniors in particular in their daily lives is not inevitable. Practicing physical activity, even light, can indeed significantly improve the flexibility of your body and therefore your movements. Our 5 flexibility exercises that are easy to perform and to be preferred when you are a senior.
Relaxing the muscles of your back is important to relieve the pain that you often feel with advancing age, in the vertebrae and the neck in particular.
To stretch your back and release the tensions you may feel in the lower back in particular, here is an exercise to practice while remembering to breathe well and without forcing too much.
Get on your knees. Extend your arms as far as possible in front of you gently, that is to say without jerking. Remember to make sure that your buttocks stay firmly glued to your heels.
The feeling of joint stiffness in the upper body (bust, shoulders and arms) is often felt in seniors. You can regularly practice a simple exercise to avoid these pains and make your upper body more flexible.
In a standing position, spread your feet slightly apart. Then clasp your hands behind your back, wrists down, dropping your arms to the level of your tailbone.
With your head straight and your gaze fixed on the distance, keep your arms as flexible as possible and, still positioned behind your back in a stretched position, raise them gently upwards. Always remember to breathe well while performing this exercise to make your upper body more flexible.
Calves are often painful areas of the body in seniors that can cause problems walking properly and sometimes cause falls. These difficulties are often due to a lack of flexibility.
However, it is possible to stretch your calves very simply to restore their flexibility. All you have to do is lean against a wall with your hands, in a standing position, and your feet in line with your legs and knees.
Stretch one of your legs backwards, about a meter away if possible, positioning your heels well on the ground. In this position, gently move your pelvis forward, still with your back leg straight. Repeat the same stretching exercise for your calves by changing legs.
A sedentary lifestyle, prolonged sitting positions, etc., are often sources of hip pain in seniors because they lack mobility.
You can restore flexibility to your hips thanks to a simple exercise called the "hula-hoop", in reference to this hoop that is rotated around the waist by making a circular movement in the pelvis.
Stand in a standing position with your feet together and your hands on your hips. Then gently rotate your hips clockwise about 5 times and then, in the same way, the other way.
In order to perform this hip stretching exercise well, remember to keep your shoulders fixed and, if possible, make sure to pull in your stomach as much as possible.
The legs are certainly among seniors the parts of the body whose lack of flexibility is the most flagrant and embarrassing on a day-to-day basis.
In order to easily soften your legs and give them a little flexibility, prepare a chair, it is the only accessory necessary to perform this simple exercise.
In a seated position, slowly raise one leg, keeping it bent. Once your leg is slightly lifted, make circles with your knee, first small ones, then gradually enlarge these circles. Then repeat this stretching exercise by alternating one and the other of your legs.
