If you are an elder, It is very important to maintain a healthy weight and indulge in light exercises to prevent age related muscle loss. Irrespective of age, it is a good habit to maintain an active lifestyle. It only becomes important as we grow old, so that we can perform daily activities like climbing stairs, getting out of a chair with ease.

Leg exercises help in strengthening one’s lower body and are most efficient in preserving freedom of movement without any assistance.

Before we head on to find out the best leg exercises for seniors, let us discuss its benefits:

• It helps in improving lean muscle mass.
• It reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke and coronary disease.
• It improves bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
• It improves glucose and insulin tolerance and reduces lower back pain. It provides additional benefits.

Following are the leg exercises for seniors that will help in strengthening the lower body

• Ankle circles
  It is a great warm up exercise for lower leg and feet. Ankle circles help in improving ankle flexibility and the ability to move the ankle freely upward and downward.
• Knee extension
  Knee extension helps in strengthening the lower body and helps in improving the ability to stand and balance. It also helps in improving the available knee range of motion.

• Hip marching
  Hip marching helps in correcting the seated posture and also helps in strengthening abdominal muscles, hip flexor and thighs.

• Calf raises
  This leg exercise is one of the best exercises for seniors as it helps in strengthening your calf muscles and provides more power to walk with balance even in uphill roads and uneven terrains. Calf raises also help in pumping blood up from legs to the upper-body and brain.

• Lunges
  Lunges help in strengthening quadriceps and hips. This exercise specially helps in improving the ability to get out of chair without any assistance, and lifting the chores around the house.
• Partial squats
  Partial squats help in providing steadiness to the body, and helps in improving hip flexibility, quadriceps and hip flexor strength.
• Heel stand
  This part of leg exercise strengthens the lower legs, making you able to raise your toes without tripping.
• Hip extension
  Hip extension helps in strengthening hip joints and muscle which helps in improving the ability to walk and propel yourself forward.
• Straight leg raise
  This is specifically effective to advance your leg and helps in walking with greater ease. This leg workout helps increase the strength of quadriceps and hip flexor.

If you are suffering from any medical or physical condition that restricts your movement, consult a physiotherapist or trained professional who will guide you accordingly.