Exercises To Increase Flexibility For Seniors And The Elderly

Standing Quad Stretch

Exercises to increase flexibility for seniors and the elderly, like the standing quadriceps stretch below, are important to help maintain your hip and leg range of motion.

As we age our available range of motion in our joints will decline. This can be up to 30% when we reach our older adult years. By incorporating a stretching program in your home with exercises to increase flexibility, you can help improve your leg and hip flexibility.

Warm up with some limbering activity before you stretch like easy walking, easy stepping, rising up on toes, or seated marching. This will prepare you by gradually increasing your body temperature, making your tissue more elastic and able to properly stretch.

Purpose of this exercise

Will improve your hip and knee range of motion. Can improve your standing posture by allowing you to stand up straighter.

Step 1

Stand with a chair for support.

Hold on with your left hand.

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Step 2

Bend your right knee.Grasp your right ankle. Gently pull up toward your bottom. Hold for 10 to  20 seconds. Then repeat with the other leg.

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Breathing

Breathe normally, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Tips

If this exercise is too difficult, try the seated ankle stretch which also stretches the quadriceps. If you are wearing pants, grasp the pant leg for an easier hold. Stop if you feel pain in your knee joint. Always hold on to a counter or chair for this exercise.

Take it up a notch

Lift your ribs and look straight ahead for improved balance. Try holding the stretch for 30 seconds.

How to do Standing Quadriceps Stretch

How to do Standing Quadriceps Stretch

More Lower Body Stretches

1. Seated Lifts

  • Improve the range of motion in your hips and legs.
  • Help stabilize  your low back and pelvis.
  • Learn what is flexibility.

2. Standing Quadriceps Stretch

  • Will improve your hip and knee range of motion with these exercises to increase flexibility.
  • Can improve your standing posture by allowing you to stand up straighter.

3. Back Stretch

  • Improves the range of motion in your spine and trunk with lower back stretching.
  • Increases your ability to bend and reach low or high.

4. Inner Thigh  Stretch

  • Improve your hip and thigh range of motion with stretching legs exercises.
  • Increase your functional ability in standing, walking and stepping.

5. Calf Stretch

  • Targets the flexibility of your calf muscle and heel cord with calf muscle stretches.
  • Increases your ability to straighten your knee

6. Hip Side Stretch

  • This is a good stretch for the side hip area.
  • Improve the range of motion of our hips.
  • These stretching techniques also can help with balance.

7.  Hip Rotation Stretch

  • Increase the range of motion of your hips with these flexibility stretches.
  • Improve the functional use of your legs as in getting out of a car or stepping over the side of your bath tub.

8. Soleus Stretch

  • Increases the flexibility of the deep calf muscle with flexibility stretching exercises.
  • Generally improves your lower body flexibility and functional use of your legs.

9. Ankle Circles

  • Improve the range of motion of the ankle and foot with warming up stretching.
  • Can help with ankle swelling.

10. Hamstring Stretch

  • Increases your ability to lean forward and reach your feet with hamstring stretching.
  • Improves the flexibility of your low back and legs.

11. Knee To Chest

  • Stretches your knee and hip joints with flexibility importance exercises.
  • Improves low back flexibility.

12. Ankle Stretch

  • Helps maintain good ankle flexibility which will assist with walking and standing with ankle stretching exercises.
  • Also helps with knee and hip stiffness.

Resources Check For Safety
 https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Brochure-CheckForSafety-508.pdf