The legs age first! How can middle-aged and elderly people build leg strength?

This is the 4643rd article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

As the population ages, the health of the elderly is receiving more and more attention. As people age, their leg muscles weaken and their joints degenerate, which makes their legs less mobile and their steps more unsteady. Coupled with bone loss and osteoporosis, it is easy to cause adverse events such as falls and fractures.

Legs age first! Strengthening leg exercises can enhance muscle strength, protect joints, delay the aging of legs, and reduce the occurrence of adverse events such as falls. However, due to the physical condition and age characteristics of the elderly, they need to pay special attention to choosing the right exercise method. Below, we will learn more about the exercise methods suitable for the elderly.

Pay attention and emphasize the following points: proceed step by step, do things within your ability, ensure safety, and stop immediately if you feel uncomfortable (pain, dizziness, etc.) at any time.

Action 1: High leg raise (hip flexion)

This exercise exercises the related muscles of the hip and front thigh: iliopsoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, and tensor fasciae latae.

Action essentials

1. Stand up straight and hold onto the back of a chair or other high, fixed object to maintain balance;

2. Slowly lift one knee upward, making sure your body remains upright;

3. Lift to the highest point and hold for 2 seconds (you can increase the holding time to 10 seconds according to your ability, the following exercises are the same);

4. Slowly lower your legs and return to the original position;

5. Repeat the above movements with the other leg; perform 3-4 sets a day, 30-50 times each time, alternating legs.

Action 2: Thigh extension (standing hip extension)

This exercise exercises the related muscles of the buttocks and posterior thighs: gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.

Action essentials

1. Stand 30-45 cm away from the table or chair back;

2. Lean your hips forward while holding onto a table or chair back;

3. Slowly lift one leg backwards, making sure the force comes from the hip joint rather than the back (if the back feels uncomfortable, it means the force is not in the right position);

4. Hold the position at the highest point for 2 seconds;

5. Slowly retract your legs and return to the original position;

6. Repeat the above steps with the other leg. You can do 3-4 sets a day, 30-50 times each time, alternating between legs.

Exercise 3: Straight Leg Raise

This exercise exercises the related muscles of the hip and front thigh: iliopsoas and quadriceps.

Action essentials

1. Supine position (if in bed, it must be a harder bed), with the knee of the supporting leg bent, and the spine, pelvis and neck kept in a neutral position (the same posture as when standing upright, with a gap of about the thickness of a palm under the waist);

2. First, lay the leg on the exercise side flat, tighten your abdomen, then lift the leg about 45 degrees and hold for 2 seconds;

3. Slowly lower your legs and return to the starting position. Perform 3-4 sets a day, 30-50 times each time, alternating between legs.

Note: Keep your upper body still and abdomen contracted when lifting your legs; if you have difficulty lifting straight legs, you can do leg lifts with bent knees.

Action 4: Hook your toes and lift your legs

This exercise develops the strength of the quadriceps muscles.

Action essentials

Sit on a stool or bed to practice, lift your legs and curl your toes hard, you can clearly feel the thigh muscles tense up, keep lifting your legs for 5 seconds, relax for 2 seconds, and repeat on the other side. You can practice 30-50 times a day.

Action 5: Heel lift and tiptoe

This movement exercises the calf muscles and ankle strength and improves the body's balance.

Action essentials

1. Stand up straight, keep your legs together, and hold on to the back of a chair or other high fixed object to maintain balance;

2. Lift your heels off the ground, stand on your toes, hold for 10-15 seconds, then slowly lower your heels to the ground. You can do this 3-4 times a day, 30-50 times each time.

Action 6: Leg stretching exercise

This movement exercises the quadriceps and performs isometric contraction exercises for the quadriceps.

Action essentials

Sit or lie on your back, stretch your lower limbs flat on the bed, with your kneecaps and toes pointing vertically upwards, tighten the muscles in front of your thighs, press your knees down against the bed, hold for 10 seconds, and then relax. You can do this 3-4 times a day, 30-50 times each time, alternating between your legs.

Action 7: Step training

This movement increases stability when climbing stairs and walking on uneven surfaces.

Action essentials

1. Choose a safe and stable environment (you can do it in an actual stairwell, preferably with handrails), facing a step or a low stool;

2. Hold the railing with both hands and step up the stairs. Keep your center of gravity between your front and back legs when you step up. After your feet are firmly planted, step down. You can do 3-4 sets a day, 30-50 times each time, alternating between your legs.

Unit: Department of Orthopedics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University

Department of Orthopedics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Xiamen Hospital

Institute of Medical Science Popularization, Fudan University

Author: Liang Bing

Instructor: Dong Jian

This article was funded by the following project: Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Science Popularization Project

(No.: 23DZ2300500)