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With so many exercise tips being put out to everyone, I wanted to do a focus article. There doesn’t seem to be enough love in exercise magazines and articles for our older generations. Not everyone can lay down on the floor anymore, and if they do, not all of us can get back up again. I myself have two elderly parents who have a difficult time exercising except for walking. While walking is a wonderful way to get moving, there are other things that you can do even as you age.

Balance exercises are some of the best things for you to do as you age. As you get older, your balance naturally decreases and it becomes more and more likely that you will fall. Of course we all know that the older you are when you fall, the more devastating the injury and the more difficult it is to recover. This is because your bones are more brittle and because your equilibrium is skewed. If you stand near a wall with your hand gently brushing it while your arm is straight out and lift one leg and then the other, you can help to decrease the chance of falling and harming yourself. Just make sure that if you start to fall, you have something to grab onto and steady yourself with.

Stretching is another wonderful thing to do as you age. This will increase your range of motion and allow you to remain more independent for longer. You will also be able to move better due to this range of motion that you have developed. Simple stretches can be done while in bed in the morning, such as reaching for your toes while your legs are straight out in front of you, or lifting your arms over your head and leaning from side to side to stretch out your shoulders and back.

There are hundreds of stretches that our elderly patients can use. They will only help to improve your quality of life, so why shouldn’t you try them? If you are interested in learning more that you can do on your own, then come into DiBella Chiropractic for a spinal adjustment and we can show you how to stretch as well.

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