Need of Proper Posture is Imperative for Seniors:
When you enter in 50's and 60's, you actually experience a “shrinking” phenomenon and can end up losing up to an inch of our overall height. Similarly, you can also change your gait and posture as well, from about age 30 onward, there are gradual changes that take place in men and women.
Proper Posture and its Effect on Seniors:
- Our spines begin to change with the passage of time and age.
- The cartilage and connective tissues in our spines can also start to lose thickness and elasticity.
- It is a big challenge to maintain a proper posture throughout our lives is so important to keep our backs strong and straight.
Posture Change with Age:
- You can expect to be more stooped with progress in age.
- With the advancement in age like 30 onward, there are gradual changes that take place in men and women.
- Change in height and posture are the prominent changes.
Factors Affecting Postural Changes with Age:
- Exercise the more one regularly exercises the more posture can improve.
- Diet balanced diet with vegetables, fruit, no red meat leads to health.
- Calcium and vitamin D improve bone density.
- Limit alcohol use.
- Do not smoke.
- Behavioral changes of purposefully maintaining erect posture.
Prevention or Amelioration:
With the age-related changes, there are things that we adopt to prevent or delay the changes.
Following are some factors that you should choose and which can improve your posture.
Major cause for falls in the elderly:
- One of the leading cause of death in the elderly population is falling.
- Almost one out of three elderly adults falls every year, with more than 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries occurring each year.
- These tragedies could be prevented through proper postural corrections that have been shown to improve balance.
- Equilibrium and balance have shown to directly decrease with degeneration of a person’s posture.
Correction of Posture through Exercise:
- Avoid sedentary for long periods of time.
- Getting up and moving around every so often allows your muscles to stretch out and stay limber.
- Invest some time in learning about some exercises that can help improve your posture.
- Core exercises are perfect for this as they help keep you balanced, stable, and increase your overall body strength.
- Perform yoga or Pilates class to help develop your core strength.
Best Elderly Posture Exercises for Seniors:
Spine Extensions
- Assists in the flexibility of the chest, improving respiration and lung functioning.
Shoulder Circles
- It Improve the flexibility of your shoulders and rib cage.
- This is a great exercise to “set” your spine and shoulders during the day.
Arm Ups
- Improve the flexibility of your ribs and also increase your ability to lift the ribs and bring the shoulders back into proper position.
Chin Tuck and Jut
- It strengthens the cervical retracting muscles for better support of good posture.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze
- Helps to position your spine in a comfortable neutral position and corrects faulty posture by positioning your shoulders below your ears.
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