Exercise for seniors - Warm up

As we grow older, our body loses its flexibility, stamina, strength and many other characteristics we cherish and need. Thus, even though touching your toes was an easy task when you were younger, at old age this might seem impossible. Therefore, you need exercising even when you become a senior citizen. However, before any exercise like walking or jogging, let alone something more demanding, you need to warm up.

The Importance of Warm up Exercises

Basically, our body is like a machine. So, just as you need to warm up your car before driving, you need to get your body in the right “mode” for exercising. In order to move from idleness to work and activity, the body needs to go through a gradual transition. Thus, you need warm up exercises so as not to get hurt or injured. The need for these exercises increases with our age. Therefore, if you are a senior who desires to remain physically active and, thereby, healthy, you need to perform warm up exercises before any kind of exercise.

Warm Up Exercises for Seniors

Before indulging into any serious exercise you can walk slowly for about 5 or 10 minutes. This should not involve jogging or running. Rather, you should walk at a slow and even pace, with your back straight and your arms hanging loose at your sides. This will get your muscles in the right mood for exercising and you can perform this activity in your room, around the block or around the house.

Then, try climbing a couple of stairs for about 5 to 10 steps. Do this slowly, without getting pumped up. Breathe evenly and slowly.

Once you are ready, you can perform wall push-ups. This exercise is done by standing two feet away from a wall and leaning onto it, holding your body steady by resting your palms on the wall. Then, keeping your back and legs straight, start leaning closer to the wall by bending your elbows. Mind that your hands should be a bit lower than your shoulder level and a bit wider than your shoulder width. Lower your body until your chin touches the wall. Then, slowly return to the initial position. Five repetitions are enough.

Alternatively, you can warm up your shoulders by bending your elbows so that you place your hands on the top of the shoulders. Once this is done, rotate the joints in the shoulders by gently moving them in a forward direction. About 20 rotations will suffice. During this exercise stay relaxed, breathe slowly and avoid making sudden moves.

Next, while sitting, move your neck as far to the left as you can. Then, do the same but to the right, holding every position for 5 seconds. For your back, hold your arms on the hips and slowly arch your back backwards, stretching the area.

Also, you can place your leg on a chair and bend your body towards it, stretching this limb, staying in the peak position for 20 seconds, changing the leg afterwards. Finally, once you cross your legs while sitting on the ground or sitting in a chair, you can rotate your ankles for a while, warming them up as well.