-
What it does: This
sequence releases tightness in the back of your neck, your shoulders,
and the muscles that connect your shoulders to the base of your skull.
Not only do these areas get tighter with age, but sitting all day
(especially when you’re slumped forward) speeds up that process, says
Mary Ann Wilmarth,
a certified physical therapist and a spokesperson for
the American Physical Therapy Association.
How to do it:
While you’re sitting in a chair with good posture (shoulders back and
down), slide your head back like you’re trying to give yourself a double
chin. Keep your head there, hold onto the side of the chair with your
right hand and tilt your head toward your left shoulder. You should feel
a stretch in the right side of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds, then
switch sides. Finally, with your chin still tucked, do 5 to 10 backwards
shoulder circles. Repeat the sequence 3 to 5 times throughout the day.
-
What it does:
Stretches out your lower back and strengthens the muscles in your back
and core, which get weaker as we get older. Stronger, more-flexible back
muscles will help you maintain better posture, says Wilmarth, “which
immediately helps you feel younger.”
How to do it:
Start in a tabletop position on the ground and squeeze your abs to
round your back up toward the sky. Hold for a second, then let gravity
pull your stomach toward the floor so your back is arched. Repeat that 5
to 10 times, then sink back into child’s pose, keeping your arms
outstretched on the ground in front of you and trying to get your
forehead and stomach to touch the ground. Hold for 15 seconds. Rise back
up into tabletop position and lift your right arm out in front of you
and your left leg behind you at the same time, hold for 5 seconds, then
switch arms and legs and repeat for a total of 10 reps. Finally, get
into a forearm plank position, keeping a straight line from your
shoulders to your feet, and hold for 30 seconds.
-
What it does: Focuses
on tightness in your hip flexors, your hamstrings and your glutes,
which all get tighter and weaker with time (especially if you spend a
lot of that time sitting).
How to do it: Find
a table that’s about hip height (if that’s too high for you, it’s fine
to use a lower surface, like a chair, at first). Place your right foot
on top of it and, keeping your left foot on the ground and left leg
straight, bend your right knee and lean in toward your right knee,
keeping your back straight as you do it. You should feel a stretch in
the front of your left hip. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides.
Next, grab a chair and place your right foot on the seat. Flex your
right foot, keep both legs straight and stick your butt out behind you
as you hinge forward from the hip and keep your back straight, folding
your torso over your right leg until you feel a stretch in your right
hamstring. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch legs. Finally, sit on the
chair and place your right ankle just above your left knee, with your
left foot still on the ground. Let your right knee drop toward the
ground, feeling the stretch in your right glute. (You can gently press
on your right knee with your hand to deepen the stretch). Hold for 10
seconds, then switch legs.
-
What it does: Some
of the most noticeable age-related declines in strength happen in the
muscles that propel us forward, like the glutes, says Kyle Stull, senior
master trainer and faculty instructor for the National Academy of
Sports Medicine. In addition to building strength in the glutes, this
move also works your core muscles, so you can maintain good posture and
balance.
How to do it: Lie on the
ground, hands at your sides, feet on the ground and knees bent at
90-degree angles. Squeeze your core and your glutes to lift your hips
toward the ceiling. Try to get them high enough so there’s a straight
line from your chest to your knees. Hold for 5 seconds, bring your hips
back to the floor (still squeezing your core and glutes), and repeat for
12 reps, then do two more sets.
-
What it does: This works on strength and flexibility in your shoulder muscles.
How to do it: Stand
against a wall, with your glutes and the back of your head touching the
wall. Keep your arms at your sides as you press the back of your hands
and arms against the wall. Maintain that pressure as you slide your arms
out wide and up over your head. Bring your arms back down, and repeat
for 12 reps, then do two more sets.
-
What it does: Works
your quads, glutes and calves, the muscles that help you slow down.
“Being unable to decelerate is one of the top causes of injury as we
age,” says Skull.
How to do it: Stand
with your feet hip width apart and toes pointing forward. Lower down 1/3
or 1/4 of the way into a squat, then drive up out of the squat and up
onto your toes, like you’re doing a calf raise. Instead of holding at
the top, immediately drop back down into your squat, hold it for a few
seconds, then repeat, for 8 to 10 reps total.
-
What it does: It strengths the glutes/quads/hamstrings and all of the muscles in your back.
How to do it: Grab
the handles of a cable machine, with the cables attached at the bottom
of the machine, and step back a few feet. (If you don’t have access to a
cable machine at your gym, you can secure a resistance band around the
base of a sturdy piece of furniture at home.) Stand with your feet hip
width apart and your toes pointed straight ahead. Extend your arms out
in front of you (there should be no slack in the cable or resistance
band), shift your hips back and lower down into a half-squat. Press
through your heels to come back to standing as you pull the cables
toward your rib cage. Do up to 3 sets of 12 reps.
-
What it does: Focuses
on your back again, and here’s why: Those muscles are some of the first
to lose strength with age, says Stull, and the more back-focused moves
you do, the more you’ll be able to prevent or counteract that decline.
How to do it: Using
a cable machine with the cables attached at shoulder height (again, if
you don’t have a cable machine handy, secure a resistance band around
some sturdy furniture), face the machine, hold the cable handles and
step back a few feet, keeping your feet wider than hip width apart.
Squeeze your abs and pull the bands by bringing your shoulder blades
together, then pulling with your arms. Return to starting position. Do
up to 3 sets of 12 reps.
No comments :
Post a Comment