Safe Situps for the Elderly

Practice safe situps when you're elderly.

Developing strong core muscles is not limited to the young and fit. Elderly folks can benefit from exercising their abdominal muscles as well. Not only do the muscles in your belly help keep your organs protected, they work in unison with your back muscles to keep you upright and more stable on your feet. Work towards strengthening your abdominal muscles with a series of safe situps, some of which can be preformed while seated or laying in bed. Please check with your doctor first before performing any new exercise.

Backwards Situp

Less stressful than a regular situp, the backwards situp still gets the job done of strengthening your abdominal muscles. Depending on your level of fitness you may want to have a spotter nearby for the first couple of times. Sit on the floor and bend your knees. Have your spotter kneel about three feet behind you. Cross your arms over your upper chest and then as you exhale start lying slowly down to the count of five. Your spotter can place her hands lightly under your shoulders as you roll down to the floor if you feel your abdominal muscles are too weak. Your spotter can then pull you back up so you can complete the routine. If you can only perform a couple of backwards situps at first don’t despair. Abs respond very quickly to exercise and before you know it, you’ll be adding more repetitions.

Knee Raise Crunch

If getting down on the floor to do a situp is beyond your current capabilities, try this exercise which is done while seated on a straight-backed chair. Sit toward the front of the chair so that both your feet are flat on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles, sit up as tall as you can and then raise one foot slowly off the floor while curling your shoulders slightly forward. Hold this position for a second and then lower your foot to the floor. Repeat this maneuver with your other leg and work up to ten on each side over time.

Seated Oblique Crunch

Don’t neglect your oblique muscles, which are just as important as the bigger rectus abdominus -- the big, flat abdominal muscle that runs straight up and down the front of your body from your pelvis to your sternum. The obliques are the abdominal muscles that lie along the side of your body and are in place to help you to bend and twist with more ease. Sit in a chair with your arms raised to shoulder height across your chest; or alternatively, clasp your hands behind your head. Exhale while you simultaneously lift your left foot off the floor a couple of inches and attempt to touch your right elbow to your left knee. Keep the abdominal muscles tight throughout this exercise. Repeat on the other side and work up to eight to ten repetitions per side.

Bent Knee Crunch

This yogic variation of a situp is usually performed on the floor, but can be executed while lying on your bed. Place one or two plump pillow under your head. Bend your knees and lift your feet up until your lower legs are perpendicular to the bed. Straighten your arms in front of you and clasp your hands together. Contract your abdominal muscles and then while exhaling, bring your arms to the outside of your left knee. Hold for a second and then release. Repeat on the other side. Perform as many as you can and work up to 10 on each side.

References

• YogaJournal.com: Forget Six-Pack Abs
• Baby Boomer Care: Abdomen Exercises for Senior Citizens
• Fitness and Freebies: The Negative Situp
• Body Results: Seated Core Exercises
• Yoga Now; Rodney Yee and Mariel Hemingway; 2005; DVD