Although exercising with limited mobility or while on bedrest can be challenging, staying active is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Finding ways to keep moving allows mature adults to increase or maintain their mobility, strengthen their muscles, and improve their mood while improving overall health and wellness. Exercising for as little as 10 minutes a day can have a positive impact and help seniors avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
Unfortunately, many seniors face mobility difficulties and do not experience its many essential health benefits. Starting an exercise regimen can be overwhelming, and many individuals are unsure where to begin or how to be active safely.
Below, we will discuss the profound benefits of exercise, particularly for those with limited mobility. We will also cover the necessary precautions for exercise with limited mobility and give some recommendations for maintaining activity and avoiding injury.
Benefits of Exercise for Seniors with Limited Mobility
Staying active helps keep the body and mind in good shape, allowing senior adults to age gracefully.
Exercise benefits include improved range of motion (ROM), increasing or maintaining strength, and boosting mood. Muscles are essential for maintaining metabolism, posture, and function, reducing fall risk, and more. Maintaining muscle is critical for seniors in preventing injury and preserving function. Seniors with limited mobility (wheelchair-bound, require a walking device, bedbound) are at high risk for muscle atrophy, which can occur when muscles are not utilized, decreasing muscle mass.
The good news is that, in many cases, loss of function is preventable and even reversible. Regular exercise improves muscle tone and strengthens bones, which helps prevent debilitating injuries and falls that occur with increased age.
Regular exercise also benefits cognition and mood. Having a daily exercise routine helps seniors avoid the depression that often occurs with limited mobility. Exercise has a powerful impact on mood. It can provide stress relief, improve cognitive function and sleep, and help seniors feel empowered, hopeful, and independent.
 |
Exercising Safely for Seniors with Limited Mobility
A successful exercise program for seniors emphasizes safety and injury prevention. This applies to those with limited mobility as well. Most injuries occur with over-exertion or over-training; working within your limitations is essential to maximize benefits while limiting harm.
A warmup and cooldown period are essential. A warmup helps prepare the body for activity and a cool down signal when it's time to slow down. Start your exercise regimen slowly and increase gradually. Remember to stay hydrated throughout weight training and cardiovascular activity. Seniors experience dehydration more frequently, so prioritizing hydration is important.
Before beginning any exercise regimen, discuss it with your medical provider. They may recommend that you work with a professional (a personal trainer) when you're first starting. Working with a trainer ensures proper form, helping to prevent injuries.
Types of Exercise for Seniors with Limited Mobility
Now that we have established the importance of exercise, we can discuss best practices for maintaining the safety of our mature adults. Below, you will find practical considerations and recommendations for exercise with mobility limitations, bedrest, or other modification forms.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent way for those with access to a swimming pool to stay active. This form of exercise is comprehensive; it offers relaxation and socialization (if attending group classes) while being a low-impact activity.
Compared to other forms of exercise, swimming has less risk of injury. Individuals with joint pain better tolerate swimming, a frequent complaint of older adults. Swimming also improves flexibility, muscle strength, cardiovascular health and boosts mood.
 |
Water Aerobics
In addition to traditional swimming, many seniors also enjoy water aerobics. By improving balance and stability, water exercises are a good option for individuals with mobility limitations and those at high risk for falling. Examples of exercises done in the pool include aqua jogging, arm and leg lifts, and jumping jacks.
In-pool aerobics is a great way to increase the intensity of your workout. Many swimming pools, health clubs, and senior activity centers offer water aerobics classes. If you enjoy socialization in a group, this may be the exercise for you!
Walking
Although it may seem overstated, there is great value in the simple act of walking. Walking maintains mobility, builds endurance, improves stability, promotes cardiovascular health, and helps maintain a healthy weight. Walking also helps to strengthen leg and core muscles, both of which are important for posture. Studies have shown that walking has cognitive benefits as well!
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are versatile—they can be used anywhere, anytime, in any position! They offer an option to those with limited mobility to strengthen their muscles. Resistance bands are easy to use, portable, lightweight, and effective, and they can enhance all areas of the body.
Seated resistance band exercises include leg presses, shoulder squeezes, chest presses, arm curls, lateral raises, chest and back flies, and seated band rows. Resistance bands add variety and fun to your workout routine and allow for strength training with minimal equipment.
Likewise, hand exercisers improve grip strength and increase the function of hands, forearms, and fingers.
Mindful exercise
Yoga and Tai Chi have well-established benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health. Additionally, the modalities provide pain relief and relaxation in a safe and accessible format for all participants, regardless of age.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi uses gentle and repetitive movements to integrate the mind and body through motion and meditation. The movements are generally slow and incorporate stretches, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
Yoga
Yoga offers a way to unwind, stretch, and relax with a series of gentle poses that combine mindfulness, meditation, and physical activity. It also improves strength, balance, flexibility, and mindfulness.
Chair Yoga/Seated Yoga
Yoga can also be performed from a seated position using modified poses and stretches designed especially for those with limited mobility. Seated yoga allows individuals at risk of falling to participate in a movement practice while maintaining safety and avoiding injury.
Chair yoga is low-impact and positively affects balance, flexibility, chronic pain, stress, and circulation.
Examples of common yoga poses that can be done from a seated position include seated mountain, seated forward bend, eagle arms, seated twists, seated warrior, and seated cat-cow.
 |
Chair Exercises
Aside from seated yoga, strength training, and mobility work can also be completed while seated. These exercises can be done with or without weights. Some simple chair exercises include gentle backbends, leg lifts, arm circles, calf raises, side stretches, and core twists.
Core Exercises
Core strength comes from the muscles in the center of your body – your abdominals and lower back. Core strength helps to keep individuals upright and is essential in maintaining posture and stability, decreasing the risk of falls. Many core exercises don't require equipment and can be done anywhere.
Stability Ball Exercises
An inflatable yoga ball or stability ball can be used while exercising your core muscles. A stability ball adds variety to your workout. Examples of exercises that can be done on a stability ball include planks, back extensions, ball balances, leg lifts, hip circles, pelvic tilts, and hip lifts.
Range of Motion or Mobility
Range of motion exercises decrease joint stiffness, improve flexibility, improve posture, reduce risk of injury, and improve overall joint functioning. Examples of these exercises include shoulder circles, arm circles, hip circles, pelvic tilts, and gentle stretching of the upper and lower body muscles.
These exercises can be done alone or with a caregiver, with the caregiver performing passive range of motion exercises. In some cases, special equipment like an exercise pulley can be used to help seniors safely perform these movements.
Pedal Exercises
Using a pedal exerciser is an excellent option for seniors with limited mobility and space.
Designed to function like a bike, these compact machines build strength in arms or legs through pedaling exercises in a stable way. Compared to a traditional exercise bike, the injury risk is much less.
Pedal exercisers are both easier to access (can be placed on any sturdy surface), and the user can regulate exercise intensity entirely. These machines are typically used in a seated position, placed on a sturdy surface. They are an ideal tool for seniors who want to stay active with limited space or mobility.
Find Support and Products at Parentgiving
A commitment to staying active can dramatically impact the quality of life for all individuals. Seniors, in particular, are more likely to maintain independence and overall well-being if a regular exercise practice is implemented. From boosting mood to restoring lost function, exercise has many benefits for those with limited mobility.
Remember to always consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program and follow the safety considerations covered in this article.
At Parentgiving, we understand the importance of empowering seniors to live their best lives. That's why we encourage caregivers and loved ones to explore safe and effective exercise options. To support this, we offer a range of products to help seniors stay active, including mobility aids and nutrition supplements. We also offer educational resources and caregiver support to help make exercising easier.
Resources
Reviewed By: Katie Pescatello
Katie Pescatello, RN, MSN, FNP-C Katie Pescatello earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons University, where she also taught pharmacology in the Master's program for several years. She has worked as a nurse practitioner in skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. She is passionate about providing individuals with the tools to make informed decisions. While working as a Hospitalist in several Boston area hospitals, she enjoys writing health content for several online publications, focusing on aging in place and preserving dignity at the end of life. She also acts as a content reviewer for Parentgiving.com.
