Exercises to help you age better - on your sofa
Exercise is a great way to keep your muscles engaged and your joints healthy. However, if it’s difficult to build ax exercise routine into your day, why not get active at home. There are many simple yet effective methods to try from the comfort of your own sofa, without the need of extra equipment, and even while watching TV, as Emma Goodman Horne, fitness expert at Goodnick (thegoodnick.com) describes.
1. Seated pillow squeezes
Start by sitting with your back straight and arms by your sides.
Place a pillow between your knees and start to squeeze the pillow by contracting your inner thigh muscles. Hold the squeeze for 3 seconds and then relax. Repeat this move 12 times.
2. Seated scissors
Move to the edge of the sofa and sit up straight. Extend your legs straight in front of you, keeping them straight, cross your legs back and forth, like scissors. Aim for 50 back and forth motions, or as many as you can, with a rest in between 10. This move can be extended to your arms by criss-crossing them at the same time.
3. Calf and toe raises
Sit on the sofa with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Move onto your tip toes by lifting your heels off the floor. Slowly lower your heels back down and repeat this move as much as you can. For toe raises, keep the same position but lift your toes off the floor so only your heel is on the ground.
4. Neck turns
Sit comfortably on the sofa with your hips as far back as possible. Secure your core by keeping the back upright and the spine straight. Keep both feet flat on the floor and stay in this position. Rotate the head to either the left or right until you feel a gentle stretch, keep here for 20-30 seconds.
After the time passes, rotate to the opposite direction, and repeat 5 times.
5. Overhead stretch
Sit comfortably at the edge of the sofa, keep both feet flat and your spine straight. Keep your hips and lower body in this stable position, and place both hands on your hips. Slowly raise both hands from the hips over the head, interlocking both hands at the top. Arch your back inward, pushing out your stomach. This will cause a stretch in the abdomen, hold for 10-20 seconds then release to starting position, repeat 3-5 times.
6. Marching
Sit with your back straight and arms by your side. Start by marching with alternative legs, bring up your thigh as high as possible and return to the starting position then do the same with your other leg. If possible, pump your arms for added cardio, do a total of 20 marches, or continue at your own pace for 30 seconds.
7. Pillow rotations
Sitting on the edge, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Hold a pillow in your hands with your arms straight out in front of you. If possible, lift your legs straight out in front of you, then rotate the pillow from hip to hip in a figure 8 move. If your lower back has pain, you can put your feet back on the ground and lean back a 20-degree angle on the sofa and continue the movements.