Maintaining strength and physical resilience as we get older is critical for our general health and independence. While strength training is generally the focus of discussions about senior physical fitness, flexibility exercises are just as important. Surprisingly, increasing flexibility can also help to improve strength.
However, this is often overlooked, which is where companion care at home services come in, offering support and encouragement to add flexibility exercises into the daily routine.
Understanding Flexibility’s Role in Strength Building
Stretching, yoga, and tai chi are all examples of flexibility exercises that help improve joint and muscle range of motion. These exercises may not use heavy weights or resistance bands, but they do provide a solid foundation for movement by reducing stiffness and improving posture.
Additionally, improved flexibility allows for better form and technique in strength-building workouts. For example, a senior with enhanced hip flexibility is likelier to perform squats or lunges successfully, increasing muscle engagement and lowering the chance of injury.
At the same time, flexibility improves balance and stability, which are essential for activities that build lower-body strength.
The Benefits of Strength Through Flexibility
Flexibility also promotes strength and helps prevent injuries. Seniors are more vulnerable to injuries due to reduced bone density and muscle mass. Flexibility exercises improve joint mobility and reduce muscle tightness, resulting in smoother motions and lowering the risk of strains and sprains.
Beyond injury prevention, seniors adding flexibility exercises to their daily routine will enjoy the following:
- Enhanced Functional Strength: Functional strength is the capacity to accomplish daily tasks like carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or gardening. Flexibility exercises help seniors develop muscle coordination and elongation, allowing them to move freely and use their strength in real-world situations.
- Improved Circulation and Recovery: Stretching and other flexibility activities increase blood flow to muscles, which is necessary for recuperation following strength-building workouts. Improved circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, allowing for quicker repair and growth.
- Increased Confidence and Independence: When seniors feel more flexible and powerful, they gain confidence in their physical abilities, which gives them the confidence they need to keep going.
Flexibility Exercises for Seniors
Once seniors understand the importance of adding flexibility to their routine, they can explore their options with companion care at home providers to see what fits their needs best. Some of the exercises they might try include the following:
- Yoga: Yoga is one of the most common go-to options for seniors, especially since they can focus on poses like cat-cow stretches or seated forward bends that help to enhance spinal flexibility and core muscular power.
- Dynamic Stretching: Things like arm circles and leg swings increase muscle range of motion, preparing seniors for strength training.
- Tai Chi: This ancient practice stresses slow, controlled movements that concurrently improve flexibility, balance, and strength.
- Static Stretching: After exercising, companion care at home can encourage seniors to focus on static stretching, like hamstring or calf stretches, to maintain flexibility and prevent muscular tightness.
The truth is that strength and flexibility are linked. Seniors who prioritize flexibility exercises increase not just their strength but also their balance, stability, and mobility, all of which contribute to a better quality of life. Companion care at home providers can encourage seniors to incorporate flexibility exercises into their daily routines, helping them to remain active, independent, and strong.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home in Germantown, PA, please contact the caring staff at Better Care Home Health Services today at (267) 766-5218
Better Care Home Health Services is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Philadelphia, Germantown, Glenside, Elkins Park, Bryn Mawr, Roxborough, Wyncote, Broomall, Upper Darby, Yeadon, Lansdowne, Narberth, Wynnewood, Penn Wynne, Fairmount, Ardmore, Chestnut Hill, and the surrounding areas.
Sources:
- https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/5-flexibility-exercises-that-also-build-strength/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/stretching/art-20047931
- https://www.texashealth.org/areyouawellbeing/Staying-Fit/When-It-Comes-to-Healthy-Aging-Strength-and-Flexibility-Go-Hand-in-Hand
- https://www.stretchzone.com/blog-posts/should-seniors-focus-more-on-flexibility-or-strength-training
Better Care Home Health Services is a family-owned agency dedicated to providing excellent and comprehensive home health care to individuals and families of Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. We are honored that God has blessed us with the opportunity to positively impact and change people’s lives. It is our mission to ensure that we provide the very best of care to our clients.
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