8 best posture exercises to do for seniors

Did you know 52% of adults ages 55 to 64 and 61% of seniors the age of 65 don’t get the recommended amount of daily exercise?

As people age, it becomes more challenging to maintain good posture. If you or someone you care about struggles with posture, there are plenty of exercises to help.

Read on to learn about the best posture exercises for seniors.

1. Chin Tucks and Juts

This exercise aims to help the bones in your neck, also known as the cervical vertebrate, to align in a neutral position. Chin tucks are a great exercise for seniors because they can do it while sitting or standing.

It’s pretty common for the cervical spine to lean forward, which causes seniors to have difficulty keeping their heads forward. Those who struggle to keep their cervical spine in a neutral position suffer from chronic headaches and neck pain.

To perform this exercise, ensure you sit or stand in a neutral position. Then, try to pull your chin back, the same way you would make a double chin.

Pull your head back, and avoid lifting your chin toward the ceiling. Once you pull all the way back slowly, return to the neutral position.

2. Wall Arm Circles

To perform arm circles, you will need to stand with your back against the wall. Next, you will need to walk your feet about six inches away from the wall. You will measure the six inches between your heels and the wall.

The next step is to lean back against the wall, so your lower back, shoulders, head, and pelvis touch the wall. Then, you will need to raise your arms overhead slowly without removing your back from the wall.

Once your arms touch at the top, you can return to the starting position.

3. Scapular Retractions

You can perform this exercise either by sitting or standing. Before performing this exercise, ensure you get a resistance band. Ensure the resistance band is challenging but manageable.

To start, loop the band around a sturdy surface like a wall post, door frame, or table. Once you secure the band, grab the handle in each hand and walk back until you feel the tension.

While standing up straight, stand your arms in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor. As you keep your arms straight, draw your shoulder blades together.

Although the movement is small, it can help improve seniors’ posture.

4. Wall Tilts

After age 30, we start to lose 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade. Seniors who don’t have a lot of muscle mass in their lower body are more susceptible to injuries…
 
Continue reading the article and learn more about exercising on Life Is An Episode website.