Gymnastics for the elderly: a set of wellness exercises for the body. Morning exercises for the elderly: features, exercises, rules and recommendations Exercises for the elderly who are over 70

Physical activity in old age is very important: only by moving you can stay in good shape. We are not talking about high physical activity, but walking and specially designed articular gymnastics for the elderly at a calm pace should be in the arsenal of every person who has stepped over his sixtieth birthday, but has not put an end to his life.

About the benefits of walking

Walking refers to moderate activity that does not cause discomfort or pain. If possible, it is worth replacing short-distance public transport with walking at a measured pace.

Age should not be a reason for refusing to walk, go shopping, visit public places, meet friends.

Walking has a comprehensive effect on the body:

  • activates the work of the muscular and ligamentous apparatus;
  • increases blood circulation and blood supply to organs and systems;
  • metabolism is accelerated, decay products are more efficiently excreted;
  • immunity increases;
  • gas exchange increases, tissues are supplied with oxygen, start energy processes;
  • efficiency, vitality, mood increase, well-being improves.

Walking involves many muscle groups, relieves spasms and excessive tension, which has a positive effect on the health and condition of the musculoskeletal system.

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The result of systematic moderate physical activity will be:

  • healing and strengthening of the heart and blood vessels. Walking makes the blood move faster, lowers cholesterol and the risk of atherosclerosis;
  • improvement of well-being, nervous and mental tension, chronic fatigue disappear;
  • activation of acupuncture points on the feet, and, as a result, improvement of the processes of digestion and bile secretion, facilitation of defecation and cleansing of the body.

Gymnastics for the elderly

Complex number 1 - warm-up

The exercises of the complex are recommended for warming up, they can be performed both after waking up and during the day. No need to overstrain, everyone is free to choose the intensity of physical activity. It should bring pleasure and a little fatigue, not pain and discomfort.

Gymnastics allows you to stimulate not only physical, but also mental health, maintain thought processes, memory at the usual level.

  1. Sit on a bed or chair, stretch your legs. Pull the toes towards you, hold them in this position for 5-10 seconds, then relax. Pull the toes away from you, similarly linger, relax the feet.
  2. Raise the right and left hands alternately above the head (10 times); then, raise the legs above the floor (to the possible height), alternately, 10 times.
  3. "Bridge" - emphasis on the palms and feet, bend the body, linger for a few seconds. Exercise is recommended to be done on the bed, so as not to hurt yourself in case of a fall.

Breathing during exercise should be even, deep.


Complex No. 2 - main

  1. To stretch the muscles of the neck, you need to lower your head and rotate it from side to side. Muscles should not be tense, breathing should be even.
  2. Keep your head straight, bend to your shoulders, trying to reach your shoulder with your cheek as much as possible.
  3. Head rotation clockwise and counterclockwise (4 times each).
  4. Starting position - hands on the shoulders, elbows bent. Circular rotations of the elbows forward and backward.
  5. Bend your arms at the elbows (palms pointing up), rotational movements of the arms back and forth.
  6. Tilts forward - backward, performed on inspiration, at the moment of tilting the arms are spread apart. Performing back bends, you need to bend your back as much as possible.
  7. Starting position - heels together, toes - to the sides, hands - at the waist. Perform shallow squats (half squats) for 4 counts. Knees during the exercise are bred to the sides.
  8. Perform deep squats while simultaneously making rotational movements with your hands.

Exercises for women

  1. Starting position - sitting, legs apart. While inhaling, tilt to the right leg, trying to reach the foot, then take the starting position and repeat the tilt to the other leg.
  2. Starting position - legs together, stretched forward. While inhaling, stretch your fingertips to your toes, then take the starting position and repeat again.
  3. Starting position: the right leg is straight, extended forward, the left leg is bent, the fingers are pressed into the thigh of the right leg. While inhaling, stretch to the toes of the right foot, exhale, change the position of the legs, repeat.
  4. Starting position - sitting, knees bent. While inhaling, try to put your bent knees on the floor, tilting them to the right, tilt your head to the left at the same time (and vice versa).
  5. Starting position - sitting, knees bent. Stretch the right leg up, then tilt, trying not to bend, to the left, again - up and lower. Repeat with the left leg.

Healthy knees: exercises from Tatyana Lisitskaya

We offer you a mini-workout to stabilize the knee joint and strengthen the muscles that surround it. It will help get rid of knee pain, avoid injuries or rehabilitate after them.

The knees are one of the most fragile parts of our body. If you're experiencing pain in your knee joints, for example when you're climbing stairs, it's time to strengthen your knees with exercise.

Half toe raises

Place your feet slightly wider than your pelvis, bend your knees slightly, place your palms on your hips, slightly tilt your body forward. At a slow pace, stand on your toes and then lower your heels.

Control the position of the knees: they should be exactly above the feet. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps.


Lunges to the side

Stand up straight, place your palms on your hips. Bending your knees, lunge to the right. Then, without straightening your knees, lunge to the left and transfer your body weight to your left leg. Make sure that the knee of the supporting leg is kept exactly above the foot.

Perform 2-3 series 4-6 times in each direction.


Stretching the quadriceps and anterior thigh

Bend the leg back, lifting the heel to the buttocks, grab the foot with your hand. Try to keep your knees together.

Feel the stretch in the front of your thigh muscles. Concentrate on the ankle of the skating leg for better balance.

If you find it difficult to balance, hold on to the back of a chair. Hold the pose for 8-10 seconds, then switch legs. Do 2-3 sets.


Bend your leg forward, bringing your knee up to your chest, and grab your shin with your hands. Make sure that the hip joints are in line, keep the torso straight. Hold the pose for 8-10 seconds, then switch legs. Do 2-3 sets.


"Martin"

Stand up straight and raise your hand up. Bending at the hips, lean forward to parallel with the floor and lift your leg back also to parallel with the floor. Look down, try to keep the body, arm and leg in line.

Concentrate on the ankle of the skating leg for better balance. You can hold on to the back of the chair, releasing the support from time to time. Hold the pose for as long as you can. Then pause for a minute and repeat with the other leg.


If you are confidently standing in the “swallow”, perform the “swallow” in a semi-squat: slightly bend the knee of the supporting leg.


Leg raise with dumbbell

You will need a chair, a dumbbell (or a water bottle), and a belt. Fasten one end of the belt to the dumbbell, and the other, after 20-30 cm, to the ankle.

Place a chair next to the mat, lie on your back, raise your legs and put your shins on the seat, throwing a dumbbell over it.

As you exhale, straighten your leg with a dumbbell in the knee joint, while inhaling, bend again, but do not touch the chair. Repeat at a slow pace 8-10 times on each leg.



This mini-workout takes no more than 15 minutes. Do it three to four times a week. I wish you success!

Preventive gymnastics

One of the options for preventive gymnastics is presented in the video, if you wish, you can choose the appropriate exercises and form your own complex:

The pace of exercises and their intensity are selected individually, depending on the physical condition. Both should be increased gradually, reduce the load in case of fatigue or poor health, but, if possible, exercise regularly.

Surely, many understand that sitting idle, the problem will not be eliminated, but only like a snowball, it acquires volumes. What is the key to good health? Physical activity!

I came across a wonderful course by an experienced specialist who helps to eliminate the problem with the joints.

I really want each of you to clearly realize that you don’t need to write everything off for age and so on! Don't you want to extend your life and improve your health so that you can spend more time with loved ones and do what you love?

If you are suffering from joint pain, then you must understand that the pain will not go away on its own. And good gymnastics is a great medicine.

BUT! It is also important to understand that not all exercises will be beneficial, many of them may not only not help, but in most cases harm and exacerbate the problem.

Therefore, it is important here the right approach and the choice of a competent and professional specialist.

Do not try to get rid of the problem by inaction and swallowing a handful of pills. It will only aggravate your health. Prove to everyone that age is not a sentence of time!

Qigong exercises are designed for people of any age who do not have a special physical training as a prevention of the onset of diseases and for the improvement of the whole organism as a whole. Qigong gymnastics has been known since ancient times, there is no exhausting physical activity in it, all exercises are simple, easy and give quick results. A daily 15-20-minute set of exercises can be performed as morning exercises.

In ancient times, qigong was a unique method of curing all diseases, it was believed that exercises were inhaled. new life in a person, clarify consciousness and illuminate thoughts.

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Qigong gymnastics was and remains popular with Chinese monks and rulers. A properly selected set of different exercises helps to solve various problems, whether it is a problem with the back, overweight, joint disease or something else.

At its core, qigong gymnastics is a special exercise combined with deep breathing in the abdomen, in other words, diaphragmatic breathing. The purpose of the exercises is not only to improve the physical condition, but also to change the mind and behavior for the better, to harmonize the body and spirit.

Qigong gymnastics is actively used to treat depression and syndrome chronic fatigue, as well as as a rehabilitation therapy after surgery. For people who are overweight, a set of qigong exercises helps to eliminate the feeling of hunger and, in combination with a diet, gives a simply amazing effect.

The exercises are based on the so-called system of small doses, when the entire complex is performed for 15-20 minutes, but every day. Such a system allows you not to overwork during classes, but at the same time get a quick and noticeable result.

Preparatory exercises

All qigong exercises are performed in a state of relaxation, so it is very important to learn how to relax. To do this, you need to find a quiet place where no one will distract you, stand up straight with your legs together. Hands freely fall along the body, eyes are closed.

We must try to relax completely and not think about anything.

The correct position, calm breathing and complete relaxation are in themselves capable of ensuring the correct circulation of energy and a powerful healing effect.

The following steps will help you relax completely:

  1. The shoulders and head are relaxed, while it is felt how the muscles of the face relax.
  2. The chest and front part of the body relax, breathing is calm and natural.
  3. The back muscles and arms are relaxed, right down to the fingertips.
  4. The legs relax, the tension gradually disappears through the soles of the feet.
  5. After the body has relaxed, you should throw all thoughts out of your head and try not to think about anything.

Usually relaxation takes no more than two minutes, but everyone spends as much time as necessary, whether it be 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

Qigong breathing

According to Qigong experts, when breathing, a person uses less than a third of the volume of his lungs. Qigong breathing exercises expand the capabilities of the respiratory system, saturating the blood with oxygen, thereby improving blood circulation, helping to maintain excellent physical shape and clear positive thinking.

People who regularly perform the health-improving complex of Qigong exercises are able to give a worthy rebuff to ailments and colds - the main friends of a tired body suffering from a frantic rhythm, poor ecology and chronic fatigue.

The main aspects of the respiratory system are as follows:

  • deep breathing "belly";
  • correct body position, in which the upper body is always straight;
  • breathing only through the nose.

Since most people are accustomed to breathing from the chest, breathing from the stomach can be difficult at first. The following actions can help with this:

  1. Stand up straight, relax, legs together, one palm rests on the stomach about 5 cm below the navel, the second lies on top. The mouth is ajar, thoughts and heart are pure, all negativity is gone.
  2. With a smooth continuous movement of the hand, they press on the stomach, pressing lasts about 4 seconds, when pressed, exhalation is made. In this position, you should remain for two seconds, then for four counts the hands release the stomach, it returns to its original position, while releasing, a breath is taken.

The whole process of inhalation and exhalation should take no more than 10 seconds. You should start with 10 breaths in one workout, gradually increasing the number of breaths. It should be remembered that while pressing on the stomach, you can not inhale. Breath holding time - no more than two seconds. A smooth inhalation is performed through the nose, a smooth exhalation through the mouth.

Exercises

In order to quickly achieve a healing effect, you need to perform a 20-minute set of exercises daily. Performing exercises, you need to consistently load all muscle groups, moving from the legs to the head and back.

In order to balance the energy in the upper and lower parts of the body, it is necessary to work out all parts of the body with equal intensity.

  1. Starting position - stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, look straight ahead. On an inhale we rise on our toes, on an exhale we roll onto our heels. The movement is performed on straight legs, the knees do not bend, the amplitude increases gradually. 10 repetitions are performed.
  2. The following exercise helps to improve coordination of movements. On an inhale, we rise on our toes and fall on the sides of the feet to the left, on an exhale we roll onto our heels and fall to the right. The circle is repeated 5 times in each direction.
  3. Legs together, we do a semi-squat, hands on our knees, on exhalation, the knees are unbent, hands are pressed back. The exercise is repeated 10 times, each time the squat should be deeper.
  4. While inhaling, we squat, hands on our knees, describe a semicircle to the right with our knees, while exhaling, the circular motion continues in the same direction. A repetition is done in each direction 5 times, each time increasing the range of motion and making squats as deep as possible.
  5. On inspiration, we raise the leg bent at the knee and pull it to the body, on the exhale we lower it. The same with the other leg, there should be 10 repetitions in total.
  6. On inspiration, we pull the leg bent at the knee to the chest and take it to the side, on the exhale, the leg again forward and down. For balance, you can slightly bend the supporting leg. With the second leg, repeat the exercise, only 10 repetitions, 5 for each leg.
  7. Raise your hands up, palms behind your head, but do not lock them into a “lock”, but simply lay them on top of each other, elbows are retracted as much as possible. A slow circular motion of the hips is performed, half a circle on the inhale, half a circle on the exhale. The same in the other direction, 5 times to the left and to the right.
  8. Starting position - the back is straight, legs shoulder-width apart. On inspiration, the back is rounded as much as possible, the back is brought forward, on exhalation we bend back, elbows and shoulders are also retracted.
  9. On inspiration, the shoulders are brought forward as much as possible, and without relieving tension, they are transferred upwards. As you exhale, the shoulders are pulled back and then lowered down. The exercise is done in reverse side, only 10 repetitions.
  10. On inspiration, the head tilts to the right, on the way out it returns to its original position. We do 10 repetitions in each direction.
  11. Shoulders rise up, head tilts back. In this position, the head rotates to the right and left, 10 times in each direction.
  12. The complex ends with a circular rotation of the head to the right and left.

This 20-minute set of exercises will help to cope with congestion in the body, get rid of pain in the joints and muscles. Be healthy!

The book by Candidate of Medical Sciences Olga Myasnikova, the mother of the famous doctor Alexander Myasnikov, is liked by older readers with revelations from the author’s personal life and practical advice. Today - recommendations for motor activity from an 88 year old female doctor.

Movement is life. So, in order to be constantly alive, you must constantly move. When it comes to getting moving, traditional exercise usually comes to mind. But this is not at all necessary! The fact is that for our body it does not matter at all whether its movements are physical exercises or not.

For example, it is better to go somewhere on foot rather than by public transport. Or walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Or just go for walks. Or more often engage in any physical activity, but at least just clean the apartment more often. Therefore, I still wash the floors with my hands and wash them by hand, and not in a typewriter. If I need to climb up, I put two stools and climb. Cereals, cans, bottles - everything I need, I get it myself, without resorting to anyone's help.

It is very useful to walk - at any age and for any distance. But you need to walk at least an hour a day. I still walk two hours a day. I take a bag on wheels and go on a trip around the area - I’ll go to the store, then to the pharmacy, then to the post office, then I just go. By the way, I go both in winter and in summer. In any weather!

Why is walking so important? When walking, a good load is given to the muscles, which activate the work of all organs and systems of the body. When moving, the body temperature begins to rise, which improves blood flow and blood supply to all organs, metabolic processes are better, and defenses - immunity - increase. Thus, due to the movement, an increase in vitality occurs.

In addition, there is an improvement in gas exchange in the lungs and tissues, so the body is filled with energy, which improves the overall well-being of a person. Due to the involvement of many muscles when walking, stress and tension are relieved, which is localized in such parts of the body as the neck, back, lower back and other parts of the spine. Therefore, after you walk, you will have a feeling of lightness and relaxation. Walking, like any movement, has a variety of positive effects:

  • strengthens the cardiovascular system and prevents atherosclerosis: due to walking movements, blood circulation of important vital centers improves, energy increases, which strengthens blood vessels, and also trains the heart, since the heart is, in essence, the same muscle;
  • relieves chronic fatigue syndrome: when walking, emotional tension is relieved, and due to the increased circulation of clean and fresh air in the lungs, the respiratory, nervous system and brain in particular are healed;
  • improves intestinal motility and activates digestion: there are so-called active points on the foot (projections internal organs), which, when walking, are involved and involve the digestive organs in the work. In addition, due to muscle contractions, efforts arise that do not allow bile to stagnate in gallbladder, and digested food moves more actively through the intestines, all this helps well in the fight against constipation.

Gymnastics: 2 sets of exercises

When they ask me if it is possible for older people to walk a lot, do exercises, I answer: “Yes!”. Wake up in the morning - stretch! Stretch your legs, point your socks at you and hold your legs in this tension for several seconds. Then stretch your toes forward and hold the movement again.

Raise your legs and arms in turn. Then it is very useful to make a bridge in the bed. Emphasis on the feet and hands, lift the body as high as possible. Get up and hold for a few seconds. If you suddenly fall - do not worry! You will fall into your own bed!

Today, studies are constantly being conducted, the results of which prove that moderate gymnastics in old age not only has a beneficial effect on physical health, but also supports memory, maintains a clear mind and, in the end, allows a person to feel part of society at any age.

Even people after serious illnesses, such as, for example, need light physical activity. The fact is that a disorder of cerebral circulation leads to the formation of a pathological focus in the brain. The core of the focus is made up of dead nerve cells, and the cells near it are in a state of reduced activity or complete inhibition. Timely therapeutic measures taken can restore their activity. Therefore, the patient must begin to engage in therapeutic exercises. Physical training stimulates the ability of nerve cells to “relearn” and, to a certain extent, take on the duties of the dead, to compensate for their inaction.

I bring to your attention a set of exercises that will help you feel fresh and young. But the main thing to remember is that the exercises should be done with pleasure. And if you don’t have the strength, you’re unwell, then you shouldn’t do it on that day.

When exercising, do not rush, breathe evenly. Rest between exercises. If you are tired, sit down or even lie down. But not for long!

Try to do the exercises in the morning, in a well-ventilated area and, of course, on an empty stomach.

A set of exercises for everyone

  1. We stretch the neck: we lower our head forward, rotate our neck to the right and left like a pendulum.

  1. We make head turns to the left shoulder and to the right. Then we stretch to the left shoulder and to the right.

  1. We do head rotations, 4 times in each direction.

  1. We put our hands on our shoulders and do circular rotations forward and backward 6 times in each direction.

  1. The arms are extended to the sides. We bend our elbows and perform rotations. 6 times in each direction.

  1. Inhale, spread your arms and as you exhale, lean forward. Then we return to the starting position, bend in the back with the spread of the arms.

  1. Semi-squats, or plie. Heels together, socks apart, hands on the belt. We do semi-squats, we spread our knees to the sides.

  1. We do full squats with circular rotations of the arms.

The 5 Most Beneficial Exercises for Elderly or Debilitated Women and Hip Health

  1. We sit on the mat, spread our legs as wide as possible. They inhaled, spread their arms, stretched to the right leg, then to the left leg and in the middle of the legs.

  1. The legs were brought together, inhaled, parted the arms and reached for both legs.

  1. One leg was straightened, the other was bent at the knee. Inhale, spread your arms and reach for a straight leg. We do the exercise on both legs.

  1. We sit on the floor, knees bent, lowered to the right, head stretches to the left. We repeat on the other side.

  1. We sit on the floor, knees bent. We raise the left leg up, at the same time we tear off the thigh. Without lowering the leg down, pull it to the right, then up again and lower it. We repeat the same with the right leg.

The most important thing in physical training is the gradual increase in load. That is, do not overdo it. But don't be afraid! Many begin to panic: what if I make myself worse? What are you! Movement prolongs life, not shortens it! Therefore, gymnastics can be done by absolutely everyone! At any age and with any disease.

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Fitness classes are very useful not only for young people, but also for people much older. So, you can safely start training. You are provided with a charge of vivacity and harmony of the body with the soul. Today we will tell you about a storehouse of magic called gymnastics for the elderly.


Three secret gymnastic exercises for the elderly

Yes, you heard right, gymnastics. Do you think it's all fiction? Get those bad thoughts out of your head. People even over 70 go in for sports, keeping themselves in good shape.

As long as the soul dances and sings, you do not get old! Remove all "can't" from your life path. They don't exist! Sitting on the couch, you can miss a precious life. She deserves to be appreciated...

Is not an excuse for giving up sports even wheelchair! After all, you can perform some elements while sitting. Strengthening your muscles and fighting spirit. You are now accompanied by many helpers. Magazines, TV specials.

There are a lot of great video lessons in gymnastics for the elderly. You can choose a convenient complex and follow it. We will push you a little on the right path, and then, believe me, you will figure it out!

There are three secrets for the elderly that you need to know and apply in life.


A couple of the main secrets of the youth of your body

The first exercise is chair push-ups. (ten times, no more)

Second - squat (about ten times according to the standard)

Third, leg raises (preferably when making lifts, hold them at least a little in the air)

By doing these seemingly simple exercises every day for half an hour, you will notice an unsurpassed result very soon! The main thing here is not to be lazy. Then everything will come out.

Appearance a woman is always worried that she does not speak. But dear grandmothers, age is not a sentence to your beauty! It is necessary to accept your years with honor and dignity. Show them they can't take away your charm.

In order to help in this useful matter as much as possible, we will bring to your attention special ones for women that help rejuvenate the body and spirit.


A woman can and should be beautiful at any age

First, water procedures. They are the same aerobic exercise as exercise bikes, but with minimal stress on the joints. You will make your muscles remarkable and take your endurance to a higher level. A excess weight Yes, you will forget about him at all!

Secondly, it will improve the condition of not only muscles, but also bones. It's called circuit training. Includes about five exercises. Start it with squats, then continue the complex with push-ups, then lunges, and squats for dessert. Also by doing data, you improve the functioning of your heart!

Third, yoga as a sport for the elderly. The right can take its place in our list. I can’t imagine how many supporters of this technique there are all over the earth. But not so little! Difficult to name the best technique recovery. With the help of yoga, you tone not only the physical state of the body, but also spiritual balance.

For the elderly - "Tai chi". In China, it is no surprise to play sports. It all happens there, of course. People have great respect for the spiritual and physical condition. The old method of tai chi is the healing of the whole organism, increasing immunity and working capacity. By adhering to this set of exercises, you prolong your life, full of health and smiles.


Another interesting way to improve your life doubly!

Also, when performing the “tai chi” complex, special music is needed. Delicate sounds of a flute or something similar to it. This will certainly create the necessary mood for you, which will lead to maximum concentration in the lesson.

Tai chi contains a list of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the legs. Helps a person to automatically maintain balance and balance. It's so important for older people. With age, the muscles weaken, and the mobility of the joints becomes extremely small. Therefore, older people constantly suffer from falls. But if you do it twice a week, you can prevent it.

We want to offer you our dear friends a magnificent method that fills you with vitality. Please pay your attention to the basic articular gymnastics for the elderly.


Good health, the result of a lot of work on yourself

Before everything, be sure to do a light workout. Just some 10 minutes! Knead all the joints, and then proceed to the main complex. If you don’t spend time on this, then there simply won’t be any benefit from the program that I will describe to you later.

The main set of exercises for the joints

  • Lie on your back, always with straight legs. Then, bending one leg at the knee, put the other on the knee and do the slopes.
  • The second exercise is performed again on the back. Bend your legs at the knees, spread them apart as close to the floor as possible. Stretch as far as you can.
  • Stand up straight, lean on the wall with your hands. Rotate the leg in part of the pelvic area.

  • Lie down on the floor, do not bend your legs and start lifting both legs up. Try to fix them for a couple of seconds in an elevated position.
  • Roll over on your stomach, hands under your head. Spread them back, lift the body. Raising it more, you bend your back deeper. And this leads to better results.
  • Position - on the back, lying down. Do pull-ups of bent knees to the chin.
  • This exercise is for the neck. Tilt the head in turn, then to the left, then to the right shoulder. Try to get your ear to it. Then do forward and backward bends.
  • Lastly, sit down on a chair. Twist the body, while trying to reach further and further.

Gymnastics for an elderly person should not seem like something difficult and intimidating. There are plenty of sparing options for sports for people with any physical disabilities. The main desire, as well as faith in yourself, and you will succeed. Be sure to consult your doctor before taking any action. Each person, of any age, has his own contraindications and you must be extremely careful not to harm yourself.

From this article you will learn:

    Why morning exercises are so useful for older people

    To whom is it contraindicated

    How to start a set of exercises for the elderly

    Will exercise help older people fight constipation

    What will be useful charging for older people to lose weight

Have you noticed that there are more elderly people on the streets who take daily walks, do Nordic walking, even run? Everyone chooses an occupation for himself. Someone sits on benches and competes in complaints about their sores, while someone leads an active lifestyle. Of course, not a single person wants to live out his life as a ruin, so exercise for the elderly is of great interest today. Our article will help you master the basic exercises.

Why is morning exercise so useful for older people?

Since there has been mankind, there have been physical exercises. It is impossible to imagine a primitive man who does not know how to run fast, climb trees, throw stones. Otherwise, he would have died out without escaping from a predator, without catching prey, without protecting himself and his fellow tribesmen.

The frescoes of ancient Egypt abound with images gymnastic exercises. The words of Mikhail Lomonosov “try in every possible way to be in the movement of the body” are relevant in our time. Many, especially older people, remembered the wonderful industrial gymnastics of the 60s of the last century.

Physical exercises are very natural in youth, but by the age of 40-50 they completely disappear from our lives. Elderly people feel the lack of vivacity, tone, their movements become slow, awkward. Old age has nothing to do with it. Lack of movement weakens our muscles, ligaments, joints. Without charging, our nervous system weakens, it becomes difficult for it to control our movements. Elderly people have a stoop, shuffling gait.

Even the simplest morning exercise for the elderly has an invaluable effect on the body, and not a single tablet can replace it. Old age should not become a hindrance to simple gymnastics. You need to move, strengthen your health, live actively and for a long time.
Daily exercise for the elderly, if performed according to special rules, strengthens nervous system, blood vessels, trains the heart. Gymnastics will keep your posture, gait, reduce excess weight, improve metabolism and, of course, create a cheerful, workable mood.

With the help of the simplest exercise for the elderly from all ailments, you can improve breathing, help the movement of blood and lymph, and, which is especially important in old age, strengthen the immune system. Exercising every day helps to fight the weakening of inactive muscles in order to avoid their atrophy. It's no secret that a sedentary lifestyle is a direct path to disease. Elderly people, already burdened with a mass of ailments, are doomed to physical inactivity. What a charge! We know elderly people who are forced by fate and illness not to leave their apartments or hospitals for years. Bedridden due to many consequences and complications, they suffer without active physical exertion. It turns out a vicious circle: the immobility of the elderly provokes deterioration, and the disease stops movement. Even a bedridden elderly patient, of course, under the supervision of the attending physician and the help of caring relatives, is prescribed physical exercise. Immobility can lead to the development of thrombosis and sepsis. Charging for such elderly people is often just their salvation. We sometimes do not notice that every day we move a lot, walk up stairs, sit down, raise our hands, bend over. Charging in the understanding of many is peppy dance moves to cheerful music. Why not, if your body asks for just such physical activity. But in our article we are talking about exercises for the elderly, calm, feasible, thoroughly working out muscles and joints. And most importantly, bringing undoubted benefits.
So, if you still doubt the need for daily morning exercises, then we remind you that it:

    Tones the nervous system.

    Improves metabolism, especially the body of the elderly after 60 years.

    Trains the heart, blood vessels and respiratory system.

    Improves the quality of motor skills, prevents osteoporosis.

    Prevents constipation and venous thrombosis.

    Increases immunity.

The body, filled with energy from feasible physical exercises, the joy of vigorous exercise will drive away depression, anxiety, and maintain clarity of mind.

Who is contraindicated in charging in old age

But the most important thing, in our opinion, is to know to whom exercise after 60 years will be harmful. Is it contraindicated for all older people? We can rejoice, there are none! However, if you have heat or a serious condition with pain, inflammation in the acute period or internal bleeding, then it will not occur to anyone to do gymnastics. Leo Tolstoy at the age of 82 made daily horse rides of 20 miles, performed drill exercises, exercises. Have we become weaker? Indeed, new diseases have appeared since then, but medicine does not lag behind. So she warns: consult with your doctor who accompanies you in the treatment of a chronic disease. An elderly person should refrain from morning exercises if he has just recovered from an infectious or viral disease. Let the body recover, but do not delay this process. If you have problems with blood pressure, then perform the charging movements smoothly, without sharp jumps and tilts. Trust me, striding will do you more good than running out of breath. There are no conditions for charging? We do not think that stepping on the spot or dancing to your favorite pleasant music will make it very difficult for you.

Physical exercise for the elderly and its principles

Charging for an elderly person will only be a joy when two principles operate. Firstly, those exercises are selected that will only benefit, and this was confirmed by the attending physician. Secondly, you can not force an elderly person to do physical exercises. Desire should come from himself, and movement should bring joy.

So, we start by telling and showing the elderly person all the exercises, not forgetting to simply and clearly explain what their benefits are. The number of repetitions of charging exercises and their load should be made uniform, the same, but take into account that its increase should take into account the strength of an elderly patient.

If possible, in exercises it is necessary to take into account all parts of the body that are not affected by diseases. If the exercise is uncomfortable for an elderly person and brings pain, then it should be replaced with a more gentle one. When performing a complex of physical exercises for the elderly after 60 years, it would be reasonable to have an instructor or a caring relative nearby. Carefully observe the condition of the elderly person, his reaction, positive attitude to classes. Let's remember:

    If you notice that, while doing exercises, he is tired, he does exercises through force, or his mood suddenly deteriorated, then the exercises should be stopped.

    Exercises that the patient performs himself, we will call active, charging will be called passive, if you help an elderly person to perform it, raise his hands, turn over, do shaking, rubbing.

    Do not overdo it with time, 10-20 minutes is enough!

    During physical exercise of an elderly person, watch his breathing: inhale arbitrarily, calmly, exhale deeper, without straining. The movements are smooth, at a calm pace. It is better to put a pillow under the head of a lying elderly person so as not to provoke a rush of blood to the head.

    If an elderly person likes morning exercises, then you can increase the number of easy exercises and reduce the number of difficult ones. Do reps wisely, start with two reps, gradually work your way up to eight reps. Exercises for "left-right" should be the same.

    It is no coincidence that exercises are called morning exercises, since the most effective exercises- in the morning, before breakfast, in a pleasant cool room. It is better to start charging with a calm walk, and if the size of the room does not allow, then on the spot. In between exercises, it is good to walk around the room.

How to start a set of morning exercises for the elderly

In our case, the truth “do no harm” is more relevant than ever, and in order not to harm our health, we always keep work under control of cardio-vascular system, especially for the elderly. Let's learn how to determine the reserve of the heart.

What it is? This is your maximum heart rate (HR) minus your resting heart rate. The resting heart rate is easily calculated, but do not forget that the rest should last at least 15 minutes. Let's say you get 55 beats per minute. Record: heart rate at rest - 55.

Find the maximum heart rate (HR max.). To do this, subtract your age from the number 180. Suppose you are 65 years old, it turns out that 180 - 65 \u003d 115 beats per minute. Again, write down this number: the maximum heart rate is 115 beats per minute. This means that your heart rate during charging should not exceed 115 beats. Remember, an elderly person whose pulse has exceeded the maximum frequency needs to reduce the intensity of the load!

So, all the data is ready, we calculate the reserve of the heart. From 115 (this is the max heart rate), subtract 55 (this is the heart rate at rest), we get the number 60. This will be a 100% reserve. Why know him? And then, if up to 60 years a person can afford an increase in heart rate by 100%, then in old age (it is generally accepted that this is 60-70 years old) we use only 90%.

If you or your relatives are from 70 to 80 years old, then we use only 50%. For centenarians, and this is the age of more than 80 years, you can use no more than 40% of the heart resource.

You can't increase your heart rate right away. It is necessary to start with a load of no more than 20% of your calculated heart reserve. Like this? Let's use the previous example. The difference between the maximum frequency and the frequency at rest for a 65-year-old elderly man was 60 beats (100%). For the age of 65, it is recommended to use only 90%, which means that the pulse can increase by only 54 beats per minute. So, we consider further: 20% of 60 will be 12. In the first lessons, the pulse can increase by only 12 beats per minute. Do not be too lazy to calculate your values ​​​​on a notepad sheet in order to refer to it during charging and control your condition.

Charging for the elderly: 27 exercises

Hang the motto in the most prominent place in the apartment: “Pep of spirit, laziness - retire, start the day with exercises!” There are many options for morning exercises. There are options for older people to solve problems with joint mobility, constipation, gerontological exercises to recuperate after illness. Elderly people love video exercises, where the instructor not only shows the exercise, but also comments on it. We suggest that you first understand and try to perform a set of exercises according to the description:

"Letter T"

Sit on a stable chair, this is important for an elderly person, put your feet comfortably, put your hands on your knees. At the expense of "one, two" - hands to the shoulders and to the sides, inhale. On the count of "three, four" - the opposite action: hands to the shoulders, to the knees. Keep your back straight. Repeat four times.

"Dance"

Grasp the seat of the chair with your hands, this will give stability. One, straighten the right leg, two, put it in place, three, straighten the left, four, put it in place. Repeat four times again.

"Shoulder circles"

Stand up steadily. Put your hands on your shoulders. We perform a large circle with elbows for four counts. Back - also in four counts.

"Leg to leg"

Grasp the chair seat with your hands. One, throw the right leg over the left, tighten all the muscles, inhale, two, return the leg to its original position, relax the muscles, exhale. If it is difficult for an elderly patient, then the legs at the knees can not be bent. Three, four, the same, but on the left foot. Again four times.

"Balloon"

Lie on your back, bend your legs comfortably at the knees, put your hands on your stomach. We perform diaphragmatic breathing: once - inhale through the nose, inflate the stomach; two - exhale slowly, lips - with a tube, pull the stomach into yourself. Monitor your well-being, as an elderly person may experience dizziness.

"Passing the Ball"

Put your legs together, spread your arms to the sides, hold the ball (or another object convenient for shifting) in your right hand. Inhale. Once, pass the ball to the left hand under the bent knee, exhale. Two, lie down on the starting position, inhale. Three, - pass the ball from the left hand to the right under the left knee, exhale. Four, get back in place, inhale. Repeat three times.

"Rolls"

We lie on the floor. Feet together, arms to the sides, in the right hand a ball (or any convenient object), inhale. Once, we transfer the straight right hand to the left with a roll of the body, we shift the ball to the left, exhale. Two, back without the ball, inhale. Three, - roll with a straight left hand with the ball, which we leave in the right hand, exhale. Four, come back, inhale. This charging exercise should be performed carefully by the elderly, as it knocks out breathing.

"Ball over head"

Performed lying down. Put your hands along the body, take the ball in the right. One, - the hands sliding along the floor through the sides rise behind the head, the ball is passed from the right to the left, if possible, we fix it only with a glance, inhale. Two, hands return along the floor to the body, the ball is already in the left hand, exhale, we pass the object in the above way. Repeat six times.

"Rotation"

Rotate the fists and feet inward for four circles, then back four circles. We hold our legs wider, and bend our arms at the elbows.

"Backstroke"

The legs are straight, the arms lie calmly along the body. Once, raise your right hand, put it behind your head, raise your left leg, sliding along the floor with your foot, at the knee, inhale. Two, back to the beginning, exhale. Three, - left hand behind the head, bend the right leg, inhale. Four, lie down at attention, exhale.

"Stone and cotton"

We lie quietly on the floor, legs together, arms along the body. Once, strain the whole body (brushes into fists, buttocks, feet pull on ourselves), inhale. Two, relax all the muscles of the body, exhale. And so six times. This charging exercise is unique for the elderly, and, despite its simplicity, has a powerful effect on the muscles.

"Star"

We lie quietly on the floor, legs together, arms along the body. One, - on the floor, take your right arm and left leg to the side, inhale. Two, bring back, exhale. Three, on the floor we take the left arm and right leg to the side, inhale. Four, come back, exhale. If the exercise is difficult for older people, then you can take the right leg and arm, respectively

The next set of exercises for our exercises for the elderly is lying on your stomach.

"Beach"

Bend your arms in front of you with a “shelf”, raising your head, look up. Once, turn your head to the right, lower it on your hands with your left side, relax, exhale. Two, come back, look up, inhale. Three, turn your head to the left, put it on your hands, relax, exhale. Four, come back, look up, inhale. Can be repeated four times.

"Boat"

Lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, legs together. Once, put your right hand on your buttocks. Two, left. Three, - raise your head, chest as high as possible, look forward. Four, we return our hands to their original position, stretching them forward, we relax. If possible, repeat three times. Attention: this charging exercise is difficult for an elderly person due to the load on the spine!

"Let's rest"

Bend your arms in front of you so that your head rests on your hands. Easily and naturally, alternately bend and unbend the legs at the knees.

"Airplane"

We stand, leaning on our knees and palms. One, right hand forward, left foot back, inhale. Two, maintaining balance, return to all fours, exhale. Three, - the left hand forward, and stretch the right leg back, inhale. Four, return to the starting position, exhale.

"Dragonfly"

The exercise is performed while standing on all fours. Once, take your right hand to the right side, turning your head, follow it with your eyes, inhale. Two, return your hand to the floor, exhale. Three, take your left hand to the left side, turning your head, follow it with your eyes, inhale. Four, put your hand on the floor, exhale. Attention: due to the difficulty of this charging exercise in maintaining balance, a safety net for an elderly person is necessary!

"Long Arm"

Lying on the stomach, we stretch forward, alternately changing either the right or the left hand. Once, - right as far as possible, the body helps, exhale. Two, the hand returns to its original position, the body relaxes, inhale. Three, the left hand stretches forward, exhale. Four, - hand in place, relaxation, breath. Repeat the exercise three times.

"Cat"

Get on all fours. Rest your palms and knees firmly on the floor. Once, bend your back as much as possible up, inhale. Two, bend your back down, exhale. Avoid sudden movements. Repeat four times.

"Affectionate doggy"

Get back on all fours. Rest your palms and knees firmly on the floor. Once, move your back as far as possible to the right, inhale. Two, curve the spine to the left, exhale. Avoid sudden movements, especially for older people who are over 70. Repeat four times.

"Rolls"

Sit on a chair, hold onto the seat with your hands to gain stability. The legs are bent at the knees at a right angle. Roll your feet from heel to toe and back. Repeat six times.

"Wings"

Sit on a chair, calmly place your hands on your knees. Once, raise your hands up through the sides, inhale. Two, we lower our hands back to our knees, leaning forward slightly, exhale. You can repeat five times.

Charging for the elderly with a stick

Exercise 1. "Lever"

Put a stick (gymnastic) on the floor, fix its end with your feet. Put your hands on top of the stick, spread your knees. Take a breath. Keeping your balance, slowly straighten your arms. Leaning on a stick, tilt the body forward so that the head is between the elbows. Slowly return to the starting position. Try, slowly, repeat six times. With a hardy vestibular apparatus, you can additionally rotate the upper end of the stick clockwise when tilting and counterclockwise when lifting.

Exercise 2. "Mill"

Sit on a chair. Take a stick, holding it horizontally between your palms. Once, turn the stick vertically, placing its lower end on your right thigh so that your right hand is at the top, inhale. Two, return the stick to a horizontal position, exhale. Three, the left hand goes up, and the lower end of the stick falls again on the left thigh, inhale. Four, - stick in a horizontal position, exhale. Repeat the whole combination four times.

Exercise 3

Try to press the stick with two elbows to your back, legs apart for stability. On a straight back, we roll the stick with our elbows up, inhale, trying not to lean down, then exhale.

Classic exercises for the elderly: video

Due to the weakness of vision and memory, some older people prefer to perform charging movements according to a special video. It is important not to chase after showing the exercises, but to quickly perform all the exercises, delving into their essence, in order to do everything correctly. An elderly person needs not only to choose a suitable charging video, but also to provide convenient access to it. Older people usually do not trust the equipment, do not remember how to turn off or turn up the volume. Therefore, for comfortable exercise, you need to teach an elderly person or help turn the desired charging video on and off.

What exercises does exercise for joints in the elderly consist of?

Joint problems can occur in both young and old. In any case, restriction of movement, pain, immobility of the joint makes life very difficult. Every morning you have to, as they say, resurrect. At first, feeling immobilized, it is awkward to get out of bed, move on bending legs, you can immediately forget about bending and squatting. Are you familiar with this condition? Then exercise, so necessary for older people with problem joints, is in front of you. We want to emphasize that this is exactly the morning exercises and exercises with which you need to start your day.

We woke up, stretched and right in bed, removing a very high pillow, we proceed to exercise for the joints, starting from top to bottom.

Neck exercises:

    Tilts of the head with bending the neck back and forth: looked at your chest, slowly threw back your head, looked at the wall behind the head of the bed.

    Continuing to lie down, turn your head to the right, look at your shoulder, then to the left, look at your left shoulder.

    Without raising your shoulders, tilt your head to the right, try to reach your shoulder with your ear. Tilt your head to the left, trying to reach your left shoulder with your ear.

Be careful, especially for older people, do everything smoothly, sudden head movements can lead to dizziness.

Hand exercises:

    We work out each joint of the phalanx of the fingers with light massaging movements. We unbend and bend each finger, not forgetting the thumb. We work in the "fist - palm" mode, straightening the fingers as much as possible, which can be difficult for older people.

    The movement of the brushes in a circle, in one direction and the other. Elderly people often complain of pain in this particular exercise, so take your time or reduce the number of rotations.

    For the next movement, you can sit down with your legs out of bed. We straighten our arms, trying to fully straighten the elbow joint. Didn't work the first time, try again.

If you are still lying, then the following body exercises just right. Sit up in bed, helping yourself with your hands. Lie down again. For older people, this charging exercise is best done with an assistant.

Sitting in bed, do not rush to get up, your leg joints, especially in older people, are not yet ready.

Leg exercises:

    Lower your feet to the floor, play with your toes, squeezing and unclenching them.

    It's time to stretch a very naughty ankle joint, gently making circles with the foot to the right and left.

    Now it’s like in gymnastics: we pull socks.

    Reverse movement of the feet, pull them towards you.

    We are working on knee joints, which are most often disturbed in bad weather, especially the elderly. We bend the leg at the knee, slowly unbend.

    Now we can stand up, move our knees to the right and left, squatting a little.

    Such a thorough lifting is completed by exercises for hip joints: walking in place. Our morning exercises for the elderly with joint problems are over.

Does exercise help with constipation in the elderly

Constipation in the elderly is, unfortunately, common. However, it is important to know how to deal with them. Medicines can easily harm the body. Charging is exactly what will help you feel light again, get rid of the problem faster and make the body work without “falling asleep”. If you want to avoid constipation, try to do this therapeutic exercise for the elderly every day. It will be difficult - reduce the time slightly, but do not give up the exercises completely. Gradually, everything will return to normal, and charging once every two days will maintain your cheerful state.

Therapeutic exercise for constipation in the elderly advises:

    Lying on your stomach, while inhaling, stretch, straining, your right arm and left leg. As you exhale, lower your leg, put your hand in front of you. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. You will feel your abdominal muscles tense up. Repeat 10 times.

    Lying comfortably on your stomach, relax by slightly turning your hips. Feel how your back muscles relax.

    Standing on all fours (reliance on your knees and palms), take your leg back, make a “swallow”, attach when exhaling. Each leg can swing 15 times. Do not forget about balance, which is difficult to maintain in old age.

    The following exercise is very effective for constipation, but it must be done carefully, in the amount of 10 times. We are on our knees, palms are on the back of the head. Inhale, - in turn, the right hand takes out the left heel. Exhale - palm on the back of the head. The left hand also tries to reach the right heel.

    Lying on the floor, bend your knees and place your hands under your head for comfort. Bend your knees to the right, exhale. We return, inhale.

Charging for the elderly to lose weight

Have you noticed how often women and men meet after 50 plus weight? And after 60, they don’t even try to change anything, dumping everything on the aging of the body and at the same time on a slow metabolism. “Yes, not a girl, stop fluttering!” - we often hear from women who feel older. Thus, older people, instead of supporting the aging body, add difficulties to it with their excess weight. Why is this happening? The pace of life decreases, hormonal changes occur, muscle mass replaced with fat. And then on the list:

    Weight adds work to the heart and blood vessels;

    The endocrine system fails;

    Joints and bones wear out under the weight of kilograms.

The female body reacts differently to menopause, so many take hormonal complexes, which also slows down the metabolic process. Maintenance normal weight in old age is not only possible, but necessary!

How can exercise help to cope with excess weight? A vigorous jumping up, washing, even a shower will undoubtedly wake up our body in the morning. But you need to shake it up with both muscle and joint work.

    The algorithm of action looks like this: physical exercise increases blood flow, which means that the heart works better. Blood carries oxygen through the cells, and it helps to normalize metabolism, which in turn contributes to weight loss.

    A running metabolism removes toxins, the skin is rejuvenated, the eyes become more radiant, old man feels better and healthier.

    A short exercise to cheerful music with an open window gives a charge of vivacity and efficiency, which is explained by the production of endorphins - hormones of joy.

    Physical exercise increases the flow of oxygen into the cells, which means that there is an improvement in the mental activity of a person and his memory.

Not a single person who is already over 50 or 60 years old will refuse such a reward for the work done in the classroom simple exercises charging for the elderly.

Let's get started quickly! I do not want to talk about women and men "older people", let's call them "ladies and gentlemen of elegant age." So, for them, classes are recommended for at least three hours a week. Let it be cardio loads and muscle stretching exercises (stretching). Yoga, Pilates qigong, swimming and cycling are also helpful. If you can, then you can take dumbbells in your hands for charging (no more than 2 kilograms). A great addition would be daily walks in the fresh air at a brisk pace. Many clubs have "Health Groups" for the elderly. This is communication, a common cause, positive motivation. If you are uncomfortable in a team, you need to attend at least a few classes in order to understand the technique of performing exercises with the help of an instructor.

    Morning exercises for the elderly who want to become slim start with 10 minutes a day, with a gradual increase to half an hour.

    Give access to fresh air and start your workout with walking, moving on to light running.

    You will definitely lose weight, as you will have to regulate your food intake: charging only after one hour after eating, after charging exercises, you should go to the kitchen no earlier than half an hour.

    Smoothly move from charging to household chores, do not immediately fall into a chair.

It's time for our morning routine! We increase the tone, we get a boost of energy for the whole day.

    "Above". We rise on socks, hands through the sides up, touch the back of the palms. Repeat this five times.

    "Outbursts". Feet shoulder width apart, arms to the sides. Lunge to the side on the left, then on the right leg.

    "Turbine". Feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the belt, rotation of the body, slightly bending forward. Repeat all five times.

    "Heron". Legs together, arms to the sides, pull the bent leg to the chest. Return to starting position. The same with the left leg. 10 times

    "Mill". Charging exercise from childhood: legs together, arms to the sides, body tilted. Turns of the body with straight arms. 10 times.

    "Bridge". Stand with your back to the wall, take a step away from it. Raise your hands up, bending back, touch the wall with your palms. Attention: for the elderly, an assistant's safety net is needed! Repeat eight times.

    "Transitions". Lying on the floor, raise your right leg, lower it to the left, return to the starting position. Raise left, lower right, return to starting position. For stability, you can keep your hands in the “sideways” position. Repeat six times.

    "Mahi". Feet shoulder width apart, arms to the sides. Having made a swing with the right foot, get the left palm, with the left foot - get the right palm. Attention: the elderly need caring safety net!. 10 times.

And here is a video with another complex for people aged 50+ (the trainer shows the movements and explains the possible nuances).