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November 16, 2023
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Most of your body’s movement relies on your core, a group of 29 muscles that stabilize the pelvis and spine, providing support for your legs and upper body. The core plays a crucial role in everything from breathing and balance to everyday activities such as household chores, personal hygiene, and going for a walk.
In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about strengthening your core, including the benefits of core exercise, how long it takes to see improvement, and step-by-step directions for safe and senior-friendly core exercises.
A strong core is a critical part of senior wellness, and incorporating core exercises into your fitness routine has several advantages.
Core workouts aid in the development and maintenance of a strong core. When you have a strong core, your other muscles don't have to compensate and you avoid injuries related to over-extension. Core exercises also prevent back pain and spinal issues such as disc herniation.
The stronger your core muscles are, the more protected your inner organs and central nervous system are too. Most importantly, older adults who develop a strong core reduce their risk of falls, which are responsible for more than 32,000 older adult deaths annually.
Since aging generally reduces muscle capacity and function, it’s crucial to your overall health that you take steps to combat this loss. Participating in regular core-fitness activities increases independence by improving your overall ability to stay active as you age. Physical therapy researchers witnessed improvement in the ability of their older adult subjects to complete typical daily tasks like housework following just 20 minutes of core training three times per week.
Sit-ups and crunches were go-to core exercises for decades. Now, however, fitness experts consider these activities hazardous and ineffective, and a multitude of medical research backs them up. These exercises pose a risk for individuals of all ages because of the high frequency of neck injuries and back injuries associated with them. People who do sit-ups and crunches using proper form rarely experience injuries, but most people simply don't know how to do them properly.
Regardless of correct or incorrect form, many doctors recommend that individuals over 65 do not engage in crunches or sit-ups. Some experience neck and back issues, but the most serious concern stems from numerous reported incidents of older adults triggering a stroke while performing crunches or sit-ups.
In this section, we’ll identify nine senior-friendly core exercises and offer step-by-step directions for correctly performing each. None of these exercises require any equipment other than a household chair.
Bridges build strength in your hamstrings and glutes while boosting core stability. This exercise does not require any equipment, but you may want to invest in a fitness or yoga mat to make the floor work more comfortable. Include bridges in your workout routine around twice a week.
To perform bridge exercises:
Planks are a simple, effective exercise that requires little time but can yield impressive results. It takes a lot of work to do planks correctly, however, and it may feel challenging until your muscles become stronger.
Here's how you can achieve a correct plank position:
Practice planks two to four times a week, increasing your time in the position as you feel comfortable.
If you can’t do a traditional plank, try a modified plank:
The opposite arm and leg raise strengthens the lumbar and abdominal muscles. It requires no equipment, but a yoga mat or something similar may be more comfortable than a hard floor. Include opposite arm and leg raises in your fitness regime two or three times per week.
To perform opposite arm and leg raises:
Seated side bends require a chair and can be done every other day. This exercise stretches the obliques, intercostals, serratus anterior, and triceps, in addition to opening the hips and improving posture.
To perform a seated side bend:
For seated leg lifts, you’ll need a chair. Plan to do these lifts two to four times per week on nonconsecutive days. If you already have a fitness routine that involves leg days at the gym, then simply add this exercise to your leg days.
To perform seated leg lifts:
Here’s how to perform seated leg taps, an exercise that targets the abs:
Seated half roll-backs, a Pilates exercise you can perform daily, do not require any equipment. Still, you may prefer a floor mat for comfort. This exercise works your abdominal muscles and improves the flexibility of your spine.
Here’s how you do it:
Seated half roll-ups strengthen the spine and abdominals without any need for equipment.
Here’s how you do a seated half roll-up:
The Superman exercise is an excellent tool for individuals with lower back pain, and it can be performed almost anywhere and does not require any equipment. Include the Superman exercise in your fitness routine two or three times a week.
Here’s how to perform it:
To learn more about our favorite exercises for seniors, check out our other helpful guides.
If you alternate between heavy and light core workouts, then performing core exercises daily is safe. Doing intense core workouts every day, however, is not recommended.
You can strengthen your core without leaving home using exercises that require little to no equipment. Most exercises have simple modifications if you struggle to do the traditional core exercises.
You can get a flatter stomach by adding several days of core exercises and strength training to your weekly routine, completing at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each week and maintaining a diet focused on whole foods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and high-protein items.
The top three exercises recommended for strengthening your core as an older adult are bridges, wood chops, and Superman exercises.
A Pennsylvania State University study found that the plank was the most effective exercise at working the core muscles.
The fastest way to strengthen your core is to incorporate a core exercise routine into your everyday workout. To avoid potential overuse injuries, remember to alternate challenging core days with light core exercise days.