Good balance and strength are essential for controlling and stabilizing your body's positioning. This, in turn, helps improve balance and decrease your chances of falling. As you age, regularly engaging in exercises that strengthen the muscles that help keep you upright, including your legs and core, becomes increasingly important. Today, give our full body strength workouts a try and feel good knowing that you are doing what you can to stay on your feet.
Warm-Up: Full Body Strength Workouts
1. Shoulder Rolls
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Relax your arms at your sides. Engage your core. Shift your shoulders forward, then roll them up and back until you feel resistance in your shoulder blades. Relax and repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions in each direction.
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2. Arm Raises
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Relax your arms at your sides. Engage your core and lift both arms overhead. Lower your arms to the starting position. Repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.
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3. Standing Twists
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place your hands on your shoulders. Engage your core and twist your upper body to one side, keeping your hips forward. Return to the center position and repeat the movement on the opposite side. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.
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3. Squats
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place your hands on your hips. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Bend your knees and hinge through your hips to lower your seat into a squat position. Keep your knees behind your toes. Raise back up to an upright standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top position. Repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.
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Routine: Full Body Strength Workouts
1. Chair Squats
Begin in an upright standing position in front of a chair with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Maintain good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Hold your hands together at chest height. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Bend your knees and hinge through your hips to lower your seat to the chair. Keep your knees behind your toes. Raise back up to an upright standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top position. Repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.
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2. Knee Drives
For this exercise, use a chair or wall for balance if needed.
Begin in an upright standing position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place one hand on a wall or the back of a chair for balance if needed. Engage your core and lift one knee, ideally to hip height. Lower your foot to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.
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3. Forward Leg Lifts
For this exercise, use a chair or wall for balance if needed.
Begin in an upright standing position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place one hand on a wall or the back of a chair for balance if needed. Engage your core and transfer all your weight onto one leg. Raise your opposite leg in front of your body in a kicking motion. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.
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4. Standing Plank
Begin in an upright standing position in front of a chair or wall with your legs shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place your hands on the wall or the back of a chair, engage your core, and step back with both feet to increase the angle of your body, moving into a straight-arm plank position. Maintain good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and toes. Take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
5. Lateral Leg Lifts
For this exercise, use a chair or wall for balance if needed.
Begin in an upright standing position, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place one hand on a wall or the back of a chair for balance if needed. Engage your core and transfer all your weight onto one leg. Engage your core and lift one leg out to the side. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.
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6. Elbow to Knee
Begin in an upright sitting position on a chair, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Engage your core. Bend your elbow and lift one arm up to shoulder height, then twist your upper body to the side and raise your bent knee to touch your opposite elbow. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.
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7. Stand from Chair
Begin in an upright sitting position on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Hold your hands together at chest height. Engage your core and raise to a standing position. Lower your seat to the starting position and repeat the movement.
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Exercises that challenge your strength and balance become increasingly important as you age to reduce the risk of falls and injuries. When going through these full body strength workouts, be sure to place one hand against the wall or on the back of a chair for extra support if needed. As your balance and stability improve, try to place less weight on your supporting hand, decreasing your reliance on the aid as you gain confidence with the exercises.
Learn even more key exercises for improving your balance and reducing your risk of falling. Click here to discover the number one way to increase your stability and maintain your independence.
