Squats are one of the most important exercises for Seniors and older adults and are included in each of Fitness4Funs weekly classes. Getting out of a chair, off the toilet or just standing up are everyday movements which make it easy to undervalue the importance of being able to squat.
The squat involves all the joints of the leg, knee, hip and ankle, strengthens the core and lower back, helps reduce the risk of falls and fractures and improves posture and balance.
If you’re interested in practicing yoga or stretched with Squats, get in touch today or join Fitness4Fun’s classes.
What are Squats?
Squats are a great exercise to strengthen and increase flexibility in your knees, calves and glutes. It is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up.
The best way to practice a squat is to begin in the start position with your feet flat on the floor hip distance apart, toes pointing forward. Let your body lean slightly forward and engage your abdominals as you bend your knees as though you’re sitting down.
Why are Squats Important?
Strong leg muscles can be the key to steadiness, no matter what age you are. A we grow older it becomes critical to build and maintain a strong foundation to support this fundamental movement pattern. Being unable to do so would lead to limitation due to the weakening of the muscles we need to sit down and stand up safely. Practicing squats in your daily routine allow you to become stronger.
Squats for Stretching your Hip Flexors
The hip flexors are the group of muscles which are responsible for lifting your knees. Many people have tight hip flexors due to sitting down for long periods of time.
When you simply sit for long hours, your muscles can before very stiff and require stretching. At Fitness4Fun, we advise squatting techniques which allow you to gently loosen your hop flexor muscles.
Strengthening Your Back Muscles
Squats can be a great way to condition your back muscles in order to help reduce back pain. Even though squats are a lower body exercise, you can successfully stretch your back muscles by maintaining a good upper body posture.
Often if you do not keep good posture while squatting, it can result with people finding it hard to say upright, and they often bend forward using more back muscles than required.
Performing squats with a wall behind you can be great for your posture as well as your core stability. Another great way to strengthen your back muscles during a squat is to use a pole or a band to guide you.
Benefits of Squats for Seniors
Squats are a great exercise to strengthen and increase flexibility in your knees, calves and glutes. In fact, you can argue that Squats are the number one most important exercise for Seniors. When you get into the habit of doing daily squats, you will find that everyday tasks become easier to manage as you age.
When movements like squats become harder, we often install devices like grab bars by our toilets, bend over using our back to pick things up off the ground, which can cause strain and damage. Practicing squats can not only build strength for daily tasks such as getting out of bed or walking, but it will also help you with standing tall and feeling more confident.
Check Out Our Online Classes
If you’re interested in any of this and you want to learn more about taking part in some yoga for pain relief classes, you should get in touch today. Here at Fitness4Fun, we’re passionate about helping seniors get active and enjoy the benefits that comes with doing so. And it’s so easy to get started.
At the moment because of the Covid-19 situation, we’re offering online classes for seniors, meaning you can easily take part from the comfort of your own home and you don’t need to worry about coming into contact with other people. In the future, when it’s safe to do so, we’ll return to offering in person yoga for pain relief classes too.