In older adults, accidents are often due to muscle weakness. Include strengthening exercises with PowerBlocks, SportCords or calisthenics. Focus on movements that improve your ability to push so you can maneuver furniture, push a lawn mower, roll dough, open doors that push, and push a shopping cart.
Workouts that improve your ability to pull will help you to open doors, start a lawn mower, and perform gardening chores. Exercises that improve your ability to carry will help you to carry groceries, packages, boxes, laundry, or grandchildren.
Activities that improve your ability to lift will help you to put groceries away, place dishes in a cupboard, put articles on closet shelves, lift pots off the stove, and hoist grandchildren. Improved grip strength will help you to open lids, use tools such as hammers and screwdrivers, and knead dough.
Include at least one exercise for all major muscle groups including quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), gluteals (hips), pectorals (chest), latissimus (back), deltoids (shoulders), trapezius and rhomboids (upper back), abdominals (stomach), and erector spinae (back).
Ideally each training session should be completed within 30 minutes. Sessions lasting longer than 60 minutes may have a detrimental effect on exercise adherence. The first eight weeks you should employ minimum resistance to allow for connective tissue adaptation. Emphasize proper technique and maintain normal breathing. Initial overload should be achieved by increasing the number of repetitions, and later by increasing the weight. All exercises should be performed in a controlled manner, never using a resistance that would prohibit you from completing at least eight repetitions. Exercises should be performed in a range of motion that is pain free. Perform one set of 8-12 repetitions with a specific weight that elicits a perceived exertion rating of "somewhat hard."
Strength training tips for the older adult:
1. Machine weights are preferred over free weights for older adults.
2. When returning from a layoff, use a resistance that is less than 50 percent of the previous intensity, and gradually increase the resistance.
3. Strength training should be performed year round and not on a hit or miss basis.
4. Wear proper foot wear (good traction/proper cushioning).
5. Avoid all jerky, rapid twisting or turning of any body part.
6. Avoid excessive compression of the abdominal area.
7. Avoid bending all the way over at the waist.
8. Avoid standing on one leg for longer than eight counts.
9. Do not lift your chin past neutral anddrop your head back. This can cause cervical compression and dizziness.
10. Avoid dropping your arms forcefully from a position above your head or out to the sides. After lifting the shoulders up, the return to neutral should be slow and controlled.
11. Alternate finger work with wrist work in order to prevent overstressing potentially inflamed joints.
12. Avoid forcefully twisting from side to side.
13. Keep your back in a neutral position, your spine relaxed up against the back of a chair to allow for more freedom of movement from the hip socket.
14. Whenever your legs are extended to the front, be sure that you keep your abdominal muscles engaged and back straight with no hyperextension of the lower back.
15. If you perform push ups, avoid flexing the elbows more than 90 degrees.
16. Do not perform wall sits if you are unsteady or have very weak quadriceps.
You can improve your balance by using the following exercises taken from the November, 1995 issue of American Health:
1. Toe stand: rise up on your toes; hold for 10 seconds.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
Week Three: Eyes closed/no hands.
2. Tandem Stand: One foot in front/touching heel-toe.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
Week Three: Eyes closed/no hands.
3. One-Legged Stand: Stand on one leg.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
Week Three: Eyes closed/no hands.
4. Heel Stand: Balance on heels.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
Week Three: Eyes closed/no hands.
5. Toe Walk: Walk while on tip-toes down the hall.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
6. Tandem Forward Walk: One foot in front of the other/ walk down the hall.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
7. Heel Walk: Walk while heels down the hall.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
8. Tandem Backward Walk: Walk backwards toe to heel.
Week One: One hand for support.
Week Two: No hands.
