Home Health Care

For seniors, there is nothing better than adopting a regular exercise routine. Expending energy through working out can strengthen the heart, embolden the brain, and even reduce the risk of a slip and fall. 

Yet, it should be noted that not all workouts are created equally. Ask any home health aide in Palm Beach and they’ll tell you the truth: there are some exercises that are just not meant for seniors. 

So, if you are designing a workout routine for your loved one: here are five exercises that it would be best to leave out. 

Stair Climbs

This exercise should be omitted for two reasons. Firstly, it targets one of the most fragile joints for seniors: the knees. Actively engaging the knee joint can be especially fraught for those living with osteoporosis and other bone degenerative diseases. 

Secondly, to climb stairs is to frequently shift your center of gravity. For seniors living with balance issues, this constant shifting puts them at high risk of losing their balance and suffering a fall!

Long Distance Running

We all want to fancy ourselves as marathon runners; yet, without proper training, a long run can put anyone at a high risk of injury. This is especially true for seniors. Long distance running places seniors at higher risk of becoming lightheaded on the trail. Longer runs tend to occur outside, a setting where individuals are more likely to suffer heat related illness.

Squats

For elderly individuals, squats have a penchant for causing injury. Without proper technique, seniors can accidentally overextend their knees past their toes, placing the cartilage at risk. The transfer of weight from squatting to standing is also problematic for those individuals living with balance issues. 

Crunches

This is another sneaky exercise. Although it looks simple on the surface, it requires proper technique to avoid injury. Seniors can place their back at risk through incorrect posture in the starting and finishing position. By placing too much pressure on the neck, elderly individuals can accidentally strain or cause injury to their upper back.

Leg Presses

For seniors, this exercise is a common culprit of back injury. The natural lumbar curve of the spine is flattened when in the leg press chair. Extending and retracting the legs creates an unhealthy shift from curved to flattened spine. When you add heavy weights to the equation, the workout becomes especially rife for potential injury to the lower back. 

Thanks to Andrew R. Lynch for their expertise in elderly legal assistance services.