• FLEXIBILITY
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• BALANCE
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• STRENGTH
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• ENDURANCE

Stretching Routines For Seniors And The Elderly

Stretching routines for seniors and the elderly that work well are ones that avoid risky and stressful positions.

Simple and gentle routines which stretch the major muscle groups can be performed by most seniors.

Try to stretch 2 to 3 days for best results, spaced out during the week. Perform exercises 2 to 3 three times with a rest period between repetitions for best results.

Build up to 3 to 5 days per week if you can.

Please visit the flexibility page, and then try some of these upper body stretches.

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Shoulder Rolls

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Purpose of this exercise

• Improve the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back region.
• Will assist in keeping your rib muscles flexible.
• Help in activities like reaching up to a high shelf or across the table at dinner.

How to do it:

Step 1

• Sit comfortably in your chair.

Step 2 

• Raise your shoulders up, back, then down.
• Relax and repeat 10 times.

Breathing:

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

Tips:

• Remember that stretches should feel comfortable. Slow down or stop if you feel pain.
• Fill your lungs with air and raise the ribs as you bring the shoulders up.
• Never hold your breath.

Take it up a notch:

• Place 2 to 3 pound weights in your hands at your sides while performing this exercise.

Try these other upper body stretches

Watch These Exercise Videos

1. Shoulder And Upper Back Stretch

• Shoulder stretches to increases your shoulder and scapular range of motion.
• Stretches your chest and shoulder.
• Will make it easier to reach to that high shelf in your kitchen.

2. Shoulder Rolls

• Improve the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back region with these stretching routines.
• Will assist in keeping your rib muscles flexible.
• Help in activities like reaching up to a high shelf or across the table at dinner.

3. Neck Side Stretch

• Improve the range of motion in your neck and upper back with these good stretching exercises.
• Helps with those everyday movements you need to do like looking under the bed for that other shoe!

4.Neck Rotation

• Improve the range of motion in our neck with these neck stretches.
• Help stretch the upper back and scapular muscles.

5. Shoulder Circles

• Improve the range of motion of your shoulders and upper back with these types of stretching.
• Helps increase flexibility in your chest and lungs.

6. Shoulder Stretch

• Helps stretch our shoulder, scapula and supporting muscles and joints.
• Improves our reaching ability especially across the body for these benefits of stretching.

7. Chest Stretch

• Stretches the chest and shoulders with these chest exercises.
• Improves posture and lung functioning.

8. Overhead Reach

• Increase the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back with these arm stretches.
• Help improve your ability to reach, as in getting a pan out of the cabinet or ice cream out of the freezer.

9. Reach Back

• Improve your ability to reach behind as in reaching back to hold on to an armrest before sitting down.
  
• Increase the range of motion of your shoulders and stretches your chest muscles with these arm exercises.

10. Triceps Stretch

• Stretches the shoulder and tricep with these stretches before exercise.
• Improves the mobility of your upper arm and shoulder.

11. Hand Stretch

• Increase the flexibility and range of motion of your hand and fingers with these hand exercises.
• Warms up your hand to prepare for the activity of the day.

12. Arm Raises

• Improves the range of motion of your shoulders with these muscle stretching exercises.
• Strengthens your arm for activities that require overhead reach like up to a shelf or pulling the light cord in the basement.

Do you like these exercises? Did you know you can download the exercises along with a 4 week exercise program?.