Seniors and the elderly can often find it challenging to stay active and exercise regularly. This can lead to many health problems, including muscle weakness, joint pain, and mobility issues. That’s why it’s so important for seniors to find ways to stay active and exercise regularly, even if it’s just doing simple bed mobility exercises.
Whether due to an accident, sickness, or surgery, bed-bound seniors have a significantly increased chance of losing strength and body muscle mass. Their long-term health and well-being need to find ways to stay active and perform regular exercises, even if they’re confined to their bed.
This blog post will show 13 easy bed exercises for elderly people essential for maintaining their health and well-being.
Stretching Exercises for Seniors in Bed
1. Hand and palm stretches
Many elders enjoy reading books or engaging in their favorite pastimes. This necessitates the proper functioning of their hands. You can do some hand and palm stretches in bed to achieve this.
When you’re ready to begin, stretch your hands and fingers as far as possible before making a fist and firmly compress the fingers. Hold this position for 10 seconds before releasing and repeating the process a few more times.
2. Overhead Shoulder Flexion and Side rolls
These exercises keep the shoulder muscles strong and improve the range of motion.
Start by lying on your back with both arms at your sides. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the bed. Keeping your shoulders down, slowly lift one arm above your head as far as possible before lowering it back down to the starting position. Repeat this process with the other arm and continue alternating until you have completed 7-8 repetitions with each arm.
To do a side roll, begin by lying on your right side with both legs straight. Use your right hand to prop up your head, keeping your elbow close to your ear. Keeping your hips stacked on top of each other, slowly roll onto your left side before rolling back to the right side. Continue alternating sides until you have completed ten rolls on each side.
Lower-body Exercises for Bedridden Obese Seniors
3. Bridging
Bridging is an excellent way to work your buttocks and lower back muscles.
To do this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent. Make sure to keep your feet flat on the bed. Then slowly lift your hips off the bed until your thighs and torso are in line. Hold this position for 2 seconds before slowly lowering your hips back to the starting position. Repeat this process ten times.
4. Calf Re-flexing
This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in your calves.
To do this exercise, sit on the edge of the bed with your legs straight and your feet hanging off the edge. Place a towel around your ankles if you have one. Keeping your heels on the bed, slowly raise your toes as high as possible before lowering them back down to the starting position. Repeat this process 5-6 times.
The blood is sent back to the heart and reduces feelings of dizziness with this activity.
5. Core Workout
The back is stabilized, and the body’s core is strengthened while turning in bed or getting up from it.
Start by bending both your knees.
Place your feet on the bed. Interlace your fingers behind your head. Use your abs for sitting up, bringing your knees in toward your chest as you do so. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.
6. Leg lifts
This activity helps to tone the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.
Start by lying on your back with both legs straight and flat on the bed. Then, slowly lift one leg off the bed, keeping it straight until it aligns with your torso. Hold this position for 2 seconds before slowly lowering it back down to the starting position. Repeat this process 10 times with each leg.
7. Pelvic tilt
This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in your lower back and abdomen.
To do this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed. Flatten your lower back against the bed and tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for 5 seconds before slowly releasing. Repeat this process 7-8 times.
8. Side-lying leg lift
This exercise helps to tone the muscles in your thighs and buttocks.
To do this exercise, lie on your right side with both legs straight. Use your right hand to prop up your head, keeping your elbow close to your ear. Keeping your hips stacked on top of each other, slowly lift your left leg off the bed until it aligns with your torso. Hold this position for 2 seconds before slowly lowering it back down to the starting position. Repeat this process 10 times with each leg.
9. Feet and ankles flexing
