EXERCISES FOR THE ELDERLY IN LOCKDOWN.

Staying fit and active is one of the most vital components while we are in lockdown. Not staying physically active, might have an enormous impact on the brain and body resulting in possible depression and loss of muscle mass.

Leaving the mind to its own mercy is never a good idea. Having too much time to think, exhausts not only the brain, but has a negative impact on the body. Not being physically active increases your risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, breathlessness, little energy, stiff joints, osteoporosis, poor posture and being overweight.

You may lose muscle strength and endurance because you are not using your muscles as much. Exercise for the elderly is vital because of the muscle loss they experience gradually with age. Leading an inactive lifestyle has a negative impact on the elderly as loss of balance and body aches and pains start to arise.

Your bones may get weaker and lose some mineral content. As we age the body looses not only muscle mass but we loose calcium and bone strength faster, making the elderly prone to loss in bone density. Bones become less dense as we age for numerous reasons including hormonal changesin women, menopause triggers the loss of minerals in bone tissue. In men, the gradual decline in sex hormones leads to the later development of osteoporosis.

Your metabolism may be affected, and your body may have more trouble breaking down fats and sugars.Your activity levels can significantly affect the speed of your metabolism.Unfortunately, older adults are typically less active and burn fewer calories through activity.

Lack of exercise can have effect on the immune system, and it may not work as well as it used to.

Exercisesfor the elderlycan be done in the comfort of their own home, so there is no need to go out and face the national pandemic. They can exercise in the comfort of their homes and prevent loss of bone densitymuscle mass by just a few simple exercises per day.

There is no doubt that as we grow older, we lose our balance and could fall easily. However, the good news is, with a few exercises, that can be solved.

Shoulder squeeze

This is a simple exercise for the elderlythat can be done while sitting. Some older people tend to struggle with balance and standing up straight. In order to ensure the correct posture, this can be done sitting in a chair.

1. Sit up straight in your seat, rest your hands in your lap, and squeeze your shoulder blades toward one another.
2. Focus on keeping your shoulders down, not hunched up toward your ears, and hold for 3 seconds.
3. Slowly release and repeat 8 to 12 times as long as you are not experiencing any pain

Toe taps

This exercise for the elderlycan be done while they are in a sitting position and can even practise this exercise while knitting or watching television. This will strengthen the lower leg muscles for better balance and better blood circulation in the legs.

1. Sitting in a chair and keeping your heels on the floor, lift your toes high enough that you can feel the muscles along your shin working.
2. Repeat 20 times.

Heel raises

This exercise for the elderly focus on strengthening the upper calves.

1. Sitting in a chair, keep your toes and the balls of your feet on the floor and lift your heels.
2. Repeat 20 times.

Clamshell exercise

Building strength in their hips, thighs, and glutes is very important. The muscles “shrink” over time and leaves the hip bones exposed sometimes cause pain when they sleep on their sides. This exercise focuses on strengthening the hip, thigh and glute muscles which stabilize the pelvic muscle and can relieve tightness in the lower back.

1. Lie on your side with bent knees and a resistance band around your lower thighs.
2. Rotate your top leg up as high as you can, then pause for a moment.
3. Lower to the starting position.
4. Do 1–3 sets of 8–15 repetitions.

Hip marching

This exercise builds strength and flexibility in your hips and thighs.

1. Sit toward the front edge of a chair.
2. Raise your left leg as high as you can, keeping your knee bent.
3. Slowly and with control, lower your foot.
4. Then do the right side.
5. This is 1 repetition.
6. Do 2–3 sets of 5–12 repetitions.

When it comes to exercises for the elderly and the protection of the bone density and lean muscle mass, we need to remember that not every exercise is suitable for every person. Always consult with your health care practitioner before attempting to do an exercise. Although it is important to stay active and healthy to live an independent life, never overwork the muscles which could lead to muscle strains and they might get hurt. Start with simple exercises and gradually increase them over time. These exercises will keep the brain active for those couple of minutes and make them look forward to the next day’s exercises ultimately giving them something else to think about while they are alone.