10 Minute Core Workout For Seniors

Core Exercises For Seniors: Full Workout Videos

If you’re looking to strengthen your core, YouTube offers a number of great workouts to follow along with. Here are several core workouts that include great exercises for seniors:

The Takeaway On Core Exercises For Seniors

As a beginner, you may feel overwhelmed just thinking about a core exercise routine thats normal!

Most people get caught up in the complexity of a new exercise program, but starting out small with physical activity and listening to the rest of your body is a great way to go.

Make a time and place to start out with one new exercise, preferably, once a day. Watch a video tutorial online if needed.

The best thing is that pretty soon youll realize getting in good shape isnt too bad, it gets easier as you build stamina.

Maybe youll notice better balance or reduced bathroom urgency or just general body strength.

When youre seeing results its easy to add a couple more muscle groups to your routine. It becomes enjoyable!

Well, keep it up! Now you know terms like rectus abdominis and have key tips for a strong core.

Feel free to pass your midsection mastery on to other seniors and older adults. The new beginner will appreciate it as much as you do.

Also, check out:

• The Right Way to Squats
• How to Do a Reverse Crunch

Side Plank With Hip And Knee Flexion 30 Seconds

Start in a side plank position, with left forearm on the floor, left elbow directly under left shoulder, feet stacked. Place right hand on right hip. With core tight, raise the top leg and bend at the knee. Bring that leg forward and back, like a cycling motion. Make sure not to let the bottom hip dropkeeping it strong encourages glute activation. Continue for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side on the second round.

Also Check: Law Harrington Senior Living Center

Your Core Allows You To Dance Swing A Golf Club And Carry Groceries

Your core surprisingly enough is not restricted to your abdominal muscles. As described by the Mayo Clinic, your core encompasses 29 different muscles, including anything connected to your pelvis or spine.

These muscles, including your oblique muscles, upper and lower back muscles, and glutes, are necessary to do virtually any physical activity from picking up a laundry basket to swinging a tennis racket to twisting around in your desk chair. Your core acts as a stabilizer for the rest of your body, allowing you to continue to enjoy your daily life and physical activities.

Why Core Strength Training Is Important For Older Adults

In the wellness industry, a strong core is often glorified for reasons of vanity. However, this narrow view completely overlooks all the health benefits of core training. In reality, core strength is essential for posture, balance, and overall health.

To correct these misconceptions, let’s start by reviewing what your core does for you.

You May Like: Senior Living In Houston Texas

Better Balance And Coordination:

According to the World Health Organization, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide.

The core is your bodys stabilizer remaining upright and having better balance is one of its main functions. This gives leverage to all the important movements made keeping your right side up.

Hollow Body Rock 30 Seconds

Lie faceup with legs straight, feet lifted, and toes pointed forward. Extend arms past head. Engage corethink belly button to spinewhile pressing lower back into the mat, and looking straight ahead, rock forward and back without changing body position. Focus on maintaining the braced core as you rock.

You May Like: Best Arm Workout With Dumbbells

Recommended Reading: Best Foods For Senior Cats

The Best Ab Exercises For A Strong Core If You’re Over 50

As we age, balance is essential for preventing falls and carrying out everyday tasks â and core training is the foundation of building balance and strength. A strong core helps protect our spine and allows us to bend, rotate, carry, sit down and stand back up.

“If you look at a skeleton, you’ll notice that there is truly no larger supportive structure that separates the rib cage and the pelvis. It is simply that spine that connects the two. What supports and stabilizes the body between our upper and lower extremities is the core,” says Tina Tang, CPT, a New Jerseyâbased personal trainer who specializes in healthy aging. “A strong core supports and stabilizes all movement.”

Fortunately, there are many great core-strengthening exercises for older adults that mimic movements you do every day so you can remain strong in those movement patterns as you age.

A Short But Effective Core Workout

Here is a short but effective core workout to strengthen most of these core muscles. This routine does not require a lot of space or any special equipment, just a stopwatch on your cell phone and a yoga mat or a towel for the floor. I also like to work out in front of a mirror so that I can make sure my technique is solid.

You will also find that these exercises improve your balance, which is another way to improve your core stability and protect yourself from injury. You can easily work these five exercises at home or in the office in 10 minutes.

Don’t Miss: Senior Life Return Of Premium Life Insurance

Your Core Helps You Keep Your Balance

Falls are one of the top causes of injury among older adults. If you feel a bit unsteady on your feet or walk with a cane, strengthening your core muscles can help improve your balance.

As described by Harvard Health, strengthening your core allows the rest of your body to move more effectively. By making core exercises part of your routine, you’ll create a stable trunk and improve your balance.

Core Exercises For Seniors Summery

The fact is, exercise and everyday living get harder as you age. And if you want to keep up your running or tennis habit, play with your grandkids, and generally be able to do things for yourself, you have to keep your body in good shape. A weak core can get in the way of those activities. Adding core strengthening exercises for seniors into your weekly routine is a great way to make this happen.

That said, rushing through some sit-ups wont do the trick. You need a variety of core strengthening exercises to ensure you hit every inch of your midsection.

To help you get that core strength back, this article covers the most effective core exercises for seniors, along with recommendations for incorporating them into your week. But first, well review some key facts about core strength, and the many benefits of core strengthening exercises for older adults.

Don’t Miss: Best Golf Driver For Seniors 2021

Do You Know What This Is

This is what I need after a full dish of starchy pastaA WAIST EXPANDER!

Thats why Fitness With Cindy is excited to announce our first core-centric program: the Fitness With Cindy 4-Week Core Bootcamp.

In the meantime, as a warm up to our boot camp, try the simple on-the-mat workout below that I personally do three times a week to condition the core and melt away that belly fat. Other benefits of a strong core include:

Better balance

Our core is the center from which most of our body movements originate.

If you have a weak core, you may feel unsteady on your feet or find youre stumbling more than you usually do. This is dangerous for our age group, as falls are one of the leading causes of injury in older adults.

Strengthening the muscles in the abdomen, back and hips provides stability to the trunk of your body which helps you stand and move more freely without losing your balance.

Relief of low back pain

When we think about our core, most of us think of the front side of our abdomen.

In actuality, though, the core is made up of multiple muscle groups that wrap around our entire midsection, much like a corset.

When these muscles are weak, our posture suffers. And when our posture is off, other muscles must step in to compensate. This leads to back pain, which can range from mild to debilitating.

Improved posture

We just touched on how poor posture can lead to back pain, but it can also throw the entire body off kilter.

Easier mobility

A slimmer waistline

Seated Forward Rollups Develop Great Functional Core Strength

Heres how to perform a seated forward roll-up:

Muscle Groups Targeted: Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis

Recommended Reading: Low Income Senior Apartments In Florida

Minute Core Workout For Seniors

Are you looking to get in shape, but are worried that your age might be keeping you from doing so?

Weve got great news: you can get fit, no matter how old you are! In fact, heres a 10-minute core workout for seniors that will help strengthen your core muscles and build better posture.

All you need is a chair and a timer. When the timer goes off, take a break for 30 seconds. Repeat until the end of the 10 minutes.

When youre a senior, its easy to feel like youre out of shape. But thats not true! You just need to find the right workout for your age group. Thats why weve put together this 10-minute core workout specifically designed for seniors.

Which Muscles Make Up The Core

Generally speaking, the core starts at the lower rib cage and extends to the buttocks.

Core muscles in the abdomen include the long rectus abdominis muscles in the front the external and internal obliques on the sides and a wide, flat girdle in front called the transversus abdominis.

In your back, a group of muscles called the erector spinae help you stand up tall. The gluteal muscles in the buttocks help you extend your leg, push off from a starting point, walk, and climb stairs.

And in the pelvis area, the iliacus and the psoas muscles enable you to lift your legs and remain stable while standing and the quadratus lumborum, a long muscle on each side, helps you bend to the side and back.

Recommended Reading: Who Sells Jitterbug Phones For Seniors

Build A Strong Supportive Core With These Chair Exercisesno Need To Get Down On The Floor

Yes, a strong core is vital for staying active and independent as you age. But curlups, planks, and other common core exercises that involve getting down on the floorand back up againarent your only option.

In fact, some of the best core exercises for older adults take place from a seated position, explains Tiffany Chag, C.S.C.S., a strength coach with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Anytime youre sitting, your core should be engaged to help you maintain tall, upright posture, she says. Shoulders should be down and back, and you should have a minimal dip in your lower back. When you try to maintain that posture while performing the right exercises, your core is really cooking!

What exactly are the right exercises? Start with the four below, recommended by Chag as well as Leython Williams, D.P.T., a physical therapist and facility manager at Athletico Physical Therapy in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

Core Exercise # : Swimmer Exercise

Lying face down on a yoga mat or a towel extend your arms forward and legs back, hovering just a few inches above the floor. Raise your right arm and left leg about a foot off the floor and then alternate. Make sure that your moves are slow and smooth, holding your leg and arm straight and steady. You should not be floppy or jerky. Continue for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds, and repeat for a total of 4 repetitions.

Total = 3 minutes

Video Showing How to Do the Swimmer Exercise

You May Like: T Mobile Senior Phone Plans

The 10 Best Core Exercises For Seniors

When it comes to core-strength exercise, less is more. Theres no need for expensive equipment or a gym membership.

In most cases, all you need for core strengthening is a sturdy chair, yoga mat, or comfortable area on your floor.

All of the listed core moves can be done with just bodyweight resistance, however, an exercise band or yoga ball can come in handy for certain movements, limit the risk of injury, and help with balance issues.

You dont need strong core muscles to start.

Its a great starting point for seniors, those with limited mobility, and older people of any age!

Keep in mind: an important reason to watch for discomfort, by listening to your body, reduces the risk of injury.

Here are the 10 best core exercises for seniors.

Right Side Plank With A Twist

• Get into a side plank position, with feet stacked together and your right forearm directly below your shoulder.
• Extend the left arm directly above your head.
• Lower the left arm and rotate your core to move your hand into the space between your side and the ground.
• Let your gaze follow your hand as you move.
• Continue for 40 seconds.

Recommended Reading: Sunrise Senior Living Mclean Va

Why Do I Need To Strengthen The Core

Without a strong core, it would get difficult to perform day-to-day tasks like lifting objects, walking, standing up, etc. It could also lead to falls and cause one to depend on assistance to do regular tasks. In addition, osteoporosis, muscle loss, knee and back pain may make it worse. That is why it is best to do a few exercises every day to keep your core strong.

Below, you will find 10 low-impact core exercises designed for mature adults. Take a look at them and do them at home with or without assistance.

Note: Talk to your doctor before starting them and do a 10-minute warm-up.

Seated Position Side Bends

This is a good modification of the side plank for seniors, which can be a challenging movement with a weak core.

• The start position is sitting upright on a sturdy chair or firm surface, feet comfortably resting on the floor.
• Let your palms hang down to the side of your seat while keeping good upper body posture, chest out, and shoulder blades back and down.
• Look straight ahead and lower one hand a few inches toward the floor, allowing your torso to bend to the side while keeping your upper body posture.
• Breath out during the movement and hold for 1-3 seconds, squeezing the oblique muscles in your rib cage.
• Return to neutral and repeat, alternating the opposite side with every repetition, or completing the repetitions fully in one direction and then moving on to the opposite side.
• Work up to a count of 10 reps and increase your sets as needed .

To supercharge this exercise, modifications are to hold small dumbells in either hand to offset your balance.

If you dont have any, a can of soup will also work well.

Or mimic a wood chop motion with your hands to include your rectus abdominis muscles in addition to the oblique muscles.

Don’t Miss: Best Stationary Bike For Seniors

What Is Your Core

The core is more than just the visible ab muscles you see on display in popular fitness magazines. Its made up of all the muscles in your trunk, which assist in nearly every movement you make. Key core muscles include:

• Glutes: The meaty muscle in your buttocks is called the gluteus maximus, and it helps propel you from seated to standing, power up a flight of stairs, and walk around the block. You also have the gluteus medius, which is a smaller muscle on either side of your buttocks that helps keep you steady while you stand, walk, or jog.

• Rectus abdominis: The rectus abdominis is the main six-pack muscle that runs from your rib cage to your pubic bone. It primarily works to flex or bend your trunk.

• Obliques: The obliques are made up of a pair of external oblique muscles one on each side of your trunk and a pair of internal oblique muscles, which are located just below the external obliques. Together, these muscles twist and bend your trunk from side to side.

• Transverse abdominis: The transverse abdominis is your deepest ab muscle. It helps with breathing and works to stabilize your pelvis and low back.