I’ve been talking this week about strength training for seniors, and we have started out with lower body strength training.
And more specifically, lower body strength training using bodyweight exercises that can be done pretty much anywhere and don’t require any special equipment.
So far, we have taken a look at bodyweight squats and bodyweight lunges. If you missed those blogs or need a little review, be sure and take a look at those previous blog posts.
And remember, strength training is important for seniors because as we age, the body naturally loses a certain percentage of muscle mass — strength — each year, beginning around age 50. This is what makes everyday activities more and more difficult over time, and eventually can lead to a less enjoyable quality of life, or even worse, loss of independence due to things like injuries from accidental falls.
So, make strength training a priority, whether it means joining a gym and learning to work out with weights, or buying some equipment to use at home, or using bodyweight strength-training exercises.
Today, we’re going to look at an exercise called the “glute bridge.” This is referring to the gluteus maximum, a fancy word for the butt muscles, which are prime movers of the legs when it comes to walking.
The glute bridge exercise helps strengthen the glute muscles, obviously, but also helps the lower back, the core (abdominal) muscles, and helps with balance.
To do glute bridges:
Lay on the floor on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.
Extend your arms at about a 45-degree angle from your body; palms face down on the floor.
Press feet into the floor to raise your hips off the ground until your body is straight.
Squeeze the glutes at the top and pause for a second or two.
Lower your hips back to the ground and immediately lift them again, continuing to repeat the movement 10 times.
Try for 2 or 3 sets of 10.
Gradually increase the number of repetitions over time.
Try some glute bridges!
And don’t forget those bodyweight squats and lunges.
You can do it!!!
You can do it!!!