Knee To chest

Flexibility importance in a senior and elderly fitness program. It is vital to incorporate a stretching routine into your exercises session primarily by performing active limbering range of motion movements during your warm up and also adding static stretches to your cool down.

The knee to chest is an example of a great static stretch that can be done in your chair. As we age, stiffness increases in all of our joints, seemingly no matter what we do.

This is due to biological aging and happens to all of us. Depending on your age and severity of your joint stiffness, stretching may slow the decline in your joint mobility. So keep stretching and limbering up those joints!

Purpose of this exercise

Stretches your knee and hip joints.Improves low back flexibility.

Step 1

Sit comfortably in your chair.

Step 2

Grasp your right knee. Gently pull up toward your chest. Hold this position for 10 seconds.Repeat with your left leg.

Breathing

Inhale during the upward movement phase. Exhale during the downward movement phase.

Tips

If you have had recent hip replacement, check with your doctor for specific instructions regarding hip precautions. Relax your back and arms for a better stretch. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down.

Take it up a notch

Grasp your leg around the shin or ankle for a deeper  stretch.

How to do Knee to Chest

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