Having strong lower body, or leg muscles, is important for maintaining mobility and agility. There are even chair exercises your parents can do to build them.
When you think about the important role that the leg muscles play in our functioning, it's easy to see why it is necessary to keep them in strong shape. This is especially true when it comes to senior citizens as weak thigh muscles are a risk factor for falls. Your parents will greatly benefit from thigh exercises and strengthening of these muscles. It is a good idea to encourage them to work out the lower body muscles because a little work will go a long way.
According to the European Journal of Applied Physiology, an older adult's leg extension strength may be associated with the ability to prevent falls. Research found that those within the study who had stronger legs (when tested for a whole leg extension) were better able to prevent falls, even when there were gait disturbances.
According to America Family Physicians, it is safe for most adults over the age of 65 to exercise. Even those with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other illnesses are usually candidates for safely exercising. Getting aerobic activity is the most ideal, but focusing on strength training exercises also helps. Depending on the health status of your parents, exercises can be done standing up, while bracing themselves on a chair, or while seated.
According to the National Institute on Aging, exercises that your parents can do to help build their lower body muscles include:
Strengthening the leg muscles is a key component to helping your parents avoid a fall, which is the most common form of injury for their age group. Plus, it can be debilitating and send them into a spiral of poor health. Encouraging your parents to engage in strengthening muscles is one way to help keep them independent, and there are a number of products to help them stay fit.