As we get older, our muscles will naturally grow weaker, unable to handle the stresses and strains that they once could.
This can lead to a decrease in mobility, which is why it is so important to keep the legs active, even if it is just through light exercise.
If you have an elderly family member or friend who struggles with weakness in their legs, there are a few different ways that you can help them with their issue without risking injury or strain to their weakened muscles.
With this in mind, we will be looking at how you can about aiding seniors that suffer from weak legs, as well as looking at some common causes of these weaknesses. Let’s get started.
Causes Of Weak Legs In Seniors
There are multiple reasons why an older person might be dealing with weakness in their legs, including the following:
- Nutritional Deficiencies: Nutrients are an incredibly important part of the body for all ages, being necessary for vital functions such as repairing, building, and maintaining bones, muscles, and healthy connective tissues. Seniors with leg weakness might be suffering from a lack of magnesium, calcium or vitamin D. A trip to the doctor will allow for blood tests that can show which nutrients someone is deficient in, after which the appropriate action can be taken, such as being prescribed medication.
- Circulation Issues: Cardiovascular problems and high cholesterol can result in issues with circulation, which can in turn lead to leg problems due to poor blood flow. This is another problem that can be treated with a visit to the doctor, but also by an increase of certain foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats as well as a reduced fat intake.
- Physical Conditions: Conditions such as arthritis- which affects the tendons, ligaments, and muscles, leading to deterioration- can significantly affect older people and their mobility.
These are just a few of the common causes of leg weakness in seniors, with other reasons including indulging in a sedentary lifestyle, an inadequate amount of sleep, and various diseases such as peripheral artery disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and deep vein thrombosis to name a few.
How To Help Seniors With Leg Weaknesses
The best way to go about helping older folks with their leg problems is to assist them with some easy to perform exercises that can stretch out the muscles, but that aren’t too rigorous. Let’s take a look at some of the best exercises.
Squats
Squats are an excellent choice when it comes to leg exercise, especially if a senior has trouble with bending, walking up the stairs, or even just getting up from a chair.
As well as that, squats are also a useful exercise when it comes to improving knee and hip flexibility and generally aiding with balance, leg strength and mobility.
The natural movement of squats makes it a great option for elders to keep the muscles stimulated.
The great thing about squats is that there are numerous ways that you can go about performing them, so if you are helping put an older friend or relative with doing some squats, they can pick the one that suits them the best.
For instance, beginners can hold onto a chair as they perform their squats should they need to. Let’s have a look at a step by step of how to perform a squat.
- Begin in a standing position. If you are helping a senior perform the squat, you can always hold onto their arms and squat along with them!
- Ensure that the feet are kept a bit wider than the width of the hips whilst the toes are facing forward.
- To get into the squat, bend the knees and the hips until almost in a seated position. If you find that the person performing the squat is having difficulties, keep a firm grip on them to help them stay stable. Make sure not to push them if they find they cannot stay in the squat for too long. Let them perform a milder version of the exercise if necessary.
- With the heels pressing into the ground, return to the standing position, ensuring that the shoulders are back, and the chest is up.
It might take some time for seniors with particularly weak legs to get used to performing the squat, but doing so little and often-and at their own pace- is sure to make a positive difference in the long run.
Other Exercises For Seniors With Weak Legs
There are other exercises that are also well suited for elders with weaker legs, alongside squats.
Standing Knee Flexion: Great for standing, balance and aiding with walking as it targets the hamstring, the three muscles that are found on the back of the thigh. For seniors, they are best performed by standing behind a chair and holding it when support is needed. Whilst holding the chair, bend the knee backwards as high as possible (though make sure that they are comfortable when doing so). Ensure that the leg is straight and that the hips stay still. After holding it as long as possible, return to the starting position.
Ankle Circles: Useful for strong ankles, which can in turn strengthen legs and balance. Whilst sitting, extend one leg and keep the other on the floor. Rotate the ankle of the extended leg clockwise for as many rotations as the senior is comfortable with. Do this counterclockwise too and then move onto the next ankle.
More exercises include:
- Leg Raises
- Heel Stands
- Calf Raises
- Knee Extensions
- Hip Extensions
- Hip Marches
Final Thoughts
It is important to remember that every senior is different and might not respond to certain exercises as well as others.
Make sure to keep in communication with the senior in question so that you can both work together to find the exercise that is the most effective for their leg weakness.