6 Best Elderly Posture Exercises for Seniors

Elderly Posture

Maintaining good posture for seniors and the elderly is vital not only when exercising but also for posture support as we go about our day.
Poor posture that is not corrected by posture exercises during the day can lead to pain in many areas.
This is referred to as postural pain syndrome. This pain can usually be relieved by stretching, taking a walk or lying down for a rest.

When faulty posture is left uncorrected for a prolonged period by poor posture habits, structural changes will occur. Muscles will shorten and become weak.
These changes can predispose you to joint injuries in the tight areas due to overuse or repetitive syndromes. When our shoulders are forward, this also brings our chin forward.

This posture encourages tightness in the chest and over stretching in the back resulting in a rounded back. We can correct this with exercises for good posture by bringing our shoulders up, back and down.

Try it during the day when you feel your shoulders wandering forward and your spine beginning to curve. Think of yourself at your desk, using the keyboard and mouse while working at the computer.

How is your Posture

How is your posture? Sit up tall in the chair, lift your ribs, bring your shoulders up, back and down. This will set your posture. Try to keep this posture for as long as you can.
Remind yourself to correct poor posture by performing all your elderly and seniors posture exercises, whether seated or standing, with good posture.

Are your ribs lifted? Are your shoulders back and down? Are your feet flat on the floor? Nature made our spine with two nice curved parts. One is called the lumbar curve and the other is the cervical curve.

These curves naturally disperse the force of gravity pushing down on our spinal column out to the sides.

Good Sitting posture

Before we begin exercising in a chair, we must adjust our posture for proper alignment.

Place your feet flat on the floor, sit back in the chair, lift your ribs and place your spine in a neutral position.You can do this by tilting your hips forward and backward until a comfortable position is found.
Then move the middle of your back including the ribs, forward and back until you feel comfortable.
Finally bring your chin forward and back, making sure your head feels balanced and pain free.

Good standing posture

Before beginning standing elderly posture exercise we must make sure our spine is comfortably in a neutral position.

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, knees soft and arms held loosely at your sides.
Draw your attention to your pelvis. Tilt your pelvis forward and backward until a comfortable position is reached.
Next bring your attention to your back. Try alternation arching your back with rounding your back until a comfortable "middle ground" is reached and you feel comfortable.
Then bring your chin forward and backward until you reach a happy medium and your head is well balanced on your shoulders.

Posture exercises

Arm Ups List EImprove the flexibility of your ribs to assist in breathing.Increase your ability to lift the ribs and bring the shoulders back into proper position.
Spine Extensions Helps correct faulty posture by bringing the spine into neutral, shoulders and chin back.Assists in the flexibility of the chest, improving respiration and lung functioning.
Chin Tuck And Jut Provides good feedback on correcting faulty posture habits.Strengthens the cervical retracting muscles for better support of good posture.
Shoulder Circles Improve the flexibility of your shoulders and rib cage.Helps bring your spine into a better erect posture.This is a great exercise to do to "set" your spine and shoulders during the day.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze Helps position your spine in a comfortable neutral position.Corrects faulty posture by positioning your shoulders below your ears.
Wall Tilts Helps bring your lower back into correct posture.Strengthens your pelvis and buttock muscles.