Leg-Strengthening Exercises to Prevent Fall in the Elderly (2024)

A bad fall can happen to anyone. However, seniors are more susceptible to falling due to the natural effects of aging and falls can cause major injuries in seniors, and even death. If you are worried about your elderly loved one and want to prevent them from experiencing slips and falls, encourage them to start investing their time in exercise or some kind of physical activity.

Fortunately, there are some simple exercises that can help prevent falls in the elderly and strengthen their muscles, leading to visible improvements in their health and well-being. A senior home care professional can supervise your loved one and assist them while they’re performing these exercises. Before getting into helpful exercises, let us understand what causes weak legs in seniors.

Common Reasons for Falls or Weak Legs in Seniors:

• Osteoporosis
• Stroke
• Vision or hearing problems
• Weak muscles
• Swelling in the legs
• Decrease in cognitive ability
• Dehydration
• Neurological conditions
• Lack of Focus
• Lost and depressed
• Some medications that bring dizziness and weakness in the body
• Postural hypotension
• Vitamin D deficiency

What Happens When Your Senior Loved One Falls?

Falls often cause injuries which can be mild like a bruise or serious like a broken hip. A nasty fall can even be fatal. The following are the risks that you can expect when your seniors have a bad fall:

• They can experience a fracture in their arms, ankle, wrist, hip, or spine. The recovery process in an older adult is slower compared to children and young adults.
• They can suffer serious internal or external head injuries which can result in memory loss and even loss of life.
• They will face the trauma and fear of falling again. If your senior loved one keeps falling again and again, they will develop a sense of anxiety and fear and cause them to become less mobile. This immobility can lead to more weakness in their legs and body.

For tips on fall prevention for the elderly, read Simple Ways to Reduce Fall Risks for Older Adults

7 Recommended Exercises to Strengthen Weak Legs in the Elderly

To help seniors live a better quality of life, we have curated the best leg strengthening exercises for seniors that can be performed at home under the supervision of your in-home caregiver.

1. Sit to Stand:

Sit to Stand is one of the easiest and most recommended exercises for seniors to improve functionality and their ability to do everyday activities with ease. If it is difficult for your loved one to get up from the toilet, or even from their couch, this can strengthen their lower body and thighs which will help them over time. Seniors should follow these steps to do the exercise:

• Sit sturdy on your chair with shoulders straight, hips apart, and arms rested on the chair.
• Lean forward and push yourself up with the legs to a standing position. You can use your arms to help you push forward.
• To sit, bend your knee to push your hips a little backwards which will not harm your back while doing this activity.
• Don’t forget to breathe in and breathe out as it helps in controlling one’s own body.

2. Pedal:

This exercise is helpful for seniors who are facing joint pain or have arthritis in their knees. Pedal exercise does not involve any standing or sitting. It can be performed on the same couch where your elderly loved ones spend most of their time. To perform this exercise, there is a pedal machine in which they put a foot on each pedal and circulate their legs just like doing it on a bicycle. It is good to perform this activity for at least 30 minutes a day. Your elderly loved one can exercise when reading, watching the news, knitting, or while doing any other leisure activity.

3. Walking Heel to Toe:

Balance is the main issue when seniors have weak muscles. The heel-to-toe walk can train your loved ones to walk independently. Begin this exercise by drawing a straight line so your loved one can focus on the direction. Start by placing one foot in front of the other. Step forward placing the other foot on the line, but make sure to touch the heel first and then rest the foot on the floor. Continue this until they reach the end of the line and do it for 10 minutes a day.

4. Seated Knee Extension:

This is one of the easiest and most helpful exercise for seniors who have terrible knee pain and balance issues. Begin by sitting on a chair or on bed with the shoulders and back straight. Ask them to raise their right leg and straighten the knee at 45 degrees. Hold the position for 5 breaths. Then bend the leg backwards and keep it in the original position. Try this exercise with the alternate leg and perform it for 15 minutes a day.

5. Step-ups:

Step-ups can help regain muscle strength in calves, quads, and glutes. This simple at home exercise will help your senior loved one improve their flexibility and go up and down the stairs without any hesitance. Perform this exercise next to the stair. Encourage them to begin by placing their left foot onto the stair and enact going up and down. Try alternating this with both the legs for 10 minutes per day. We do not recommend to do it on any other elevated surfaces as it can cause falls if not sturdy.

6. Lunges:

Hips and Legs are the powerhouse for a stronger body. Thus, lunges are a great leg exercise for seniors to strengthen their lower body, targeting the hips, thighs, legs, and ankles. Begin by standing straight with both feet shoulder width apart. Ask your loved one to step forward while keeping their trunk vertical and their hands on the waist and hold the position for 5 breaths. Then repeat the same with the alternate leg. For seniors with less balance, try using a chair as a means of support while performing this exercise.

7. Resistance Bands:

Resistance bands are an excellent and affordable way for seniors to regain muscle strength and mobility at home. They are good for whole body workouts or for targeting specific areas where it is needed. Under your supervision, seniors can perform stretches and squats as well as reverse lunges to regain their leg strength.

8. Ankle Circles:

Ankle circles are a great warm up exercise to strengthen your senior’s feet and ankles. This exercise can be done either in a sitting or sleeping position. All your elderly loved one has to do is to raise on foot and rotate the ankle in one single motion at least 15 times and repeat the same activity with the other leg.

Get Home Care and Support from Assisting Hands

If you have a busy schedule and your older adult needs immediate care while performing these exercises, you can hire a caregiver who can assist your senior loved one right away. At Assisting Hands, we believe that leg weakness in the elderly can be remedied by exercise and nutritious food. We are a trusted home care service provider in Texas, helping your senior loved ones with in-home senior care services that can reduce the risk of falling. To speak to a representative, call (817) 646-2970 .

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