Injury, osteoarthritis, and a host of other issues can result in seniors having pain in their knees. However, it’s possible to help your elderly loved one get his or her knees and the surrounding muscles and joints into better shape. Here’s a list of exercises that can strengthen your loved one’s knees and relieve existing pain.
Knee Extensions
This should be an easy exercise for your loved one to perform, but the impact on knee health is significant. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the knee and help your loved one maintain balance and prevent falls. The exercise can also help your loved one stand more easily and increase the range of motion in his or her knees. Extending the knees is necessary to maintain functional independence, and knee extension exercises can help your loved one accomplish that.
Elderly home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
Standing Knee Flexes
This exercise strengthens your loved one’s hamstring muscles, and it can be performed while standing or with the use of a walker. When done correctly, standing knee flexion helps your loved one increase his or her balance. The muscles behind your loved one’s knees should have greater flexibility as a result, and he or she may begin to walk better. Make sure your loved one remains balanced and keeps his or her thighs together when performing this exercise.
Water Exercises
When your loved one walks in the shallow end of a pool, he or she can build muscle strength and knee flexibility. Water exercises can relieve pain and stiffness in the knees. Your loved one will have to work a little harder when doing exercises in water, but they’re not strenuous. In fact, the water cushions stiff joints and fragile bones that might make certain exercises difficult to perform on land.
A home caregiver can help your loved one exercise safely. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional at-home care. Reston, Virginia, Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Leg Dips
This is another exercise your loved one can perform while standing. Leg dips strengthen the muscles in the thighs, which should make it easier to walk and stand. When your loved one exercises the muscles around the knee joints, he or she is making them stronger and less prone to injury. Doing leg dips can prevent the knees from stiffening, make movement easier, and reduce knee pain.
Regular exercise is good for strengthening many parts of a senior’s body and preventing injury. If your loved one could use some help with daily exercise, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care. For some families, caring for a senior loved one can be overwhelming at times. Luckily, they can rely on professional respite care. Reston, Virginia, Assisting Hands Home Care is a trusted name in respite and hourly care. Our caregivers are available around the clock to assist seniors with bathing, transportation, medication reminders, exercise, and much more, allowing families the time they need to focus on other important responsibilities or just take a break. Call us today to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.
