Welcome to Straight Up-Chiro Chat

Well, here we are, just over halfway through the year. Whether we mean to or not, we all start each year hoping for a change in one or more aspects of our lives. And that change is always something better, obviously. No one wakes up on January 1 and thinks, ‘Well, I really hope this year is going to be the worst year I’ve ever had!” But, as we age, or as a friend likes to say, ‘as we grow in wisdom’, our physical and mental abilities can easily start to drift away if we are not actively pursuing an active lifestyle in both those areas.

Today, we’re talking about Chiropractic Care and exercises for seniors

There may be some things you never do, like climb Mt Everest, or row solo across the Atlantic. But the good news is that it’s never too late to regain fitness and strength. Let me put it another way…

Dancing is not only fun, but it’s good for you.

Studies show that dancing is excellent exercise for both your body and your mind. In fact, the tango has been shown to reduce the effect of dementia! If you’ve ever visited a retirement home, it’s unlikely that you found ‘Salsa Evenings’ being advertised at the community centre. It’s more likely that you saw bored seniors watching television, stiffening up and becoming less mobile with every passing day.

In more recent times, thank goodness, retirement home staff have come to realise that the more active seniors are, the happier they are. Regardless of age, we all have more positive and active mindsets, and lives, when exercise is an integral part of our daily lives.

No one expects someone, let alone a senior, who has done hardly any exercise for a long time to suddenly leap out of their chairs and scramble up the North Face of the Eiger! But here’s what exercise can do for you, especially if you’re in your ‘wisdom years’.

15 Benefits of exercise for seniors

Exercise provides both immediate and long-term benefits.

Immediate benefits

• Improved quality of sleep.
• Reduced anxiety.
• Reduced blood pressure.

Long-term effects

• Reduced arthritis and reduced pain from stiffness, especially in hips and lower back.
• Reduced bed sores.
• Increased brain health, memory, and reduced risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.
• Increased heart health, and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
• Reduced risk of 8 different types of cancer.
• Encourages a healthy weight.
• Encourages personal independence.
• Improves bone, sinew, muscle, and ligament strength, and reduces the risk of joint degeneration.
• Improves balance, coordination, and the range of motion, reducing the risks of falling.
• Improves recovery times from illness or accidents.
• Improves digestion and gut health.
• Improves the immune system

But what if even getting out of a chair is an effort?

Just because you struggle to move around now doesn’t mean you can’t regain an excellent level of fitness at any age. A good place to start is with chair exercises.

Here are 9 exercises you can do at home on your own or with a group while sitting in a chair.

• If you can, sit in a chair that will encourage good posture – like the chairs in the picture above. We suggest 5 repeats of each exercise, but if that’s too much to start with try to do three at least.
• Ankle Twists – Sit upright, as far back in the chair as you can. Lift one foot off the floor. You don’t have to lift it high. Turn your foot in circles one way 5 times, and then 5 times the other. Repeat with the other foot. Then, point your toes so that your shin and toes are one long line, hold for 3 seconds. Now, bend your ankle as if trying to touch your shin with your toes. Repeat 5 times. Switch to the other foot.
• Thigh Lifts – Keeping your knee bent, lift your right thigh and then lower it. Try not to rest it on the chair seat. Do this 5 times. Repeat with the left leg.
• Leg Lifts – Straighten your right leg and lift it until it is parallel to the floor. Keeping it straight, lower it to the floor. Try not to rest it on the floor. Repeat this 5 times. Then repeat with the left leg. As your fitness increases, sit closer to the front edge of the chair.
• Thigh Squeezes – Place a thick, firm cushion between your thighs and squeeze your thighs together for 5 seconds. Release for 2 seconds. Repeat 5 times. 
• Body Twists – Hold your arms out to the side parallel to the floor. Keep your hips still while you twist from the waist as far to the right as you can. Twist back to face the front. Then twist to the left. Repeat 5 times. 
• Body Bends – Lift your arms high over your head. Keep them straight and level with your ears as you slowly bend forward. Try to touch your knees with your forehead. Then, straighten up. Repeat 5 times.
• Wrist Twists 1 – If you can, hold your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor.  

1. Part 1: Twist your hands in circles going to the right 5 times. Then change direction and twist your hands to the left 5 times. If you can’t hold your arms out straight yet; just make sure your forearms are parallel to the floor.  
2. Part 2: Still with your arms parallel to the floor bend your wrist so your hand is pointing straight down to the floor and then up towards the ceiling. Repeat 5 times.

• Wrist Twists 2 – Repeat the same exercises above but with your arms stretched out to either side.
• Head Twists – Turn your head gently to the right, hold for 3 seconds, then turn it to the left. Repeat 5 times. Then, lift your chin towards the ceiling, hold, then bring it down until it touches your chest. Repeat 5 times. 

I‘m stuck in bed at the moment, can I do any of these lying down?

Yes, you absolutely can! You can do:

• The Ankle Twists – you don’t need to lift your legs. Lie on your back and rotate your ankles.
• The Leg Lifts – lifting one leg at a time off the bed. It will help if you don’t have anything heavy like a duvet or a blanket over your legs. You could begin by bending your right leg and bringing your knee to your chest. Hold 2 seconds, then stretch your leg out straight on the bed. Repeat with the left leg. Do 5 repeats on each side.
• The Thigh Squeezes – Bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the bed. Put the cushion or a pillow between your thighs and squeeze as described above.
• The Wrist Twist 1 – hold your arms so that they are 90 degrees to the bed and circle your wrists as described above.
• The Body Twist – If you are able, lie on your back, keep your knees together and bend them towards your chest. With your arms stretched flat out on the bed at 90 degrees to your body, and keeping your shoulders on the bed, twist from your waist to the right until your knees reach the bed, or as far as you can go. Don’t force any of the exercises. Be gentle. Bring your knees back to centre and then twist to the left.
• The Head Twists – Keeping your head on the pillow, do the same twists and lifts as described above.

How can Chiropractic care help?

The first place to start with any form of exercise, especially if you are a senior, is to ensure that your doctor is happy with your overall health and the exercise program. The next professional you would be wise to visit is a chiropractor. Exercising with a misaligned spine is not a good idea.

The gentle techniques provided by an experienced chiropractor can realign your spine, restore proper alignment and function to your musculoskeletal system, reduce any pain you may be experiencing caused by the misalignment, and set you up for rebuilding your health, strength, and focus as you exercise.

Yours in health,
Dr. Monica and Helen