Maintaining balance and stability is one of the most important reasons why staying active in old age matters. Physical fitness is arguably the most important step toward living a healthy retirement lifestyle. If you hope to maintain an active independent lifestyle after retirement, it is important that you stay fit and healthy to be able to fulfill your retirement goals. Balance exercises can help you reduce the risks of falling and getting into incidents that can cause life-threatening conditions.
Most retirees tend to lose their stability as they age and that can lead to mobility limitations. To help you avoid that, we have gathered five exercises here to help you improve your balance as you enjoy your retirement.
Back Leg Raise
Most adults tend to experience mobility concerns because the gluteal muscles in their buttocks tend to become weak after the age of 65. Back leg raise is an exercise that targets the gluteal and the lower back to help improve posture. The exercise will help to strengthen the glute muscles and this is a big step in improving stability and coordination.
Getting Started:
- Place your hands against a wall or chair
- Raise one of your legs and keep it in a position that’s comfortable
- Repeat the process 10 times on each leg
Side Leg Raise
If you have recently gone through a surgical procedure that affected your mobility, side leg raise is a good balance exercise to get you moving when you return home. This exercise will help to strengthen your legs, glutes, and lower back.
Getting Started:
- Hold on to a table or chair
- Lift one leg up to the side of the table or chair for about two seconds
- Lift the other leg on the other side for two seconds
- Repeat the process while alternating between both legs
Heel Raise
Heel raise is a simple balance exercise that only requires 5 minutes of your time. Committing to this exercise for a few minutes every day will help to improve and strengthen your core. You will feel your ankles and feet strengthened after the exercise.
Getting Started:
- Stand straight against the back of a chair and place your hand on the back of the chair for support
- Raise your feet until you feel the balls of your feet engaged
- Repeat the process up to 10 times
Single Leg Balance
Here’s a very simple exercise you can do to help improve stability. You have the opportunity to use a chair for support when you are just starting out.
Getting Started:
- Hold onto a chair at your side
- Stand straight with your feet and shoulder-width apart
- Extend your arms to the sides of the chair and slowly lift your right knee off the ground
- Stretch it out straight in front of you and hold the position for up to 30 seconds
- Slowly place your leg back on the ground
- Repeat the process on your left leg
- Alternate between both legs at least five times
Chair Squats
Chair squats are one of the highly recommended balance exercises for older adults as it works effectively to strengthen the hip and leg muscles.
Getting Started:
- Stand straight with your legs slightly apart
- Lower your body onto the chair without sitting down while bending your knees
- Hold the position for a few seconds before standing up
- Repeat the process a couple of times to work on your core
