Let’s talk about our legs. Particularly, are noticing that your leg strength maybe is not what it used to be? Has your leg flexibility changed (lessened) as you got older? Are you struggling with pain in the leg joints, that causes issues with your standing or moving around?
If you have answered ‘YES’ to any of the questions this blog is for you!! Leg problems can be a problem we deal with for a long while. As we get older, our leg problems can become more prevalent, especially when we start to notice typical daily tasks become challenging like: performing light housework, stair walking, getting up and down from a chair, and walking around the grocery store.
And you might notice that it's a little more difficult or challenging, but you push through it. As we get older, our muscles reduce in size which in turn can lead to loss of strength. However, what we want to do is build up strength and endurance so this loss in muscle size isn’t extremely fast. We want to work on building strength and endurance so this reduction in muscle size tapers off and we're maintaining what muscle strength we have.
A loss in muscle and joint flexibility is something that we may also experience. Working on muscle and joint flexibility is something we should aim to incorporate daily. Making sure muscles are moving and stretching is an ability we want to preserve. The lack of movement or flexibility in muscles can cause more pressure on joints, which can, in turn, cause increased pain and discomfort limiting activities like walking, squatting to sit on a chair or toilet, and bending down to complete tasks around the house.
And one of the most common questions I am asked as a physical therapist is, "Preston, what can I do to keep my legs stronger, toned?"
Three key strategies you can do to keep your legs strong and tone are to work on exercises focused on building strength, flexibility, and endurance.
When thinking about an exercise program make sure you consider your abilities and what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Keeping muscles tone is highly important. We want to work on strengthening big muscle groups.
In our legs, we have keys muscles located in the front and back of our thighs, butt muscles, along with the muscles near our ankle that we want to make sure we are considering when working on toning our leg muscles. I almost forgot to mention the most important muscles to keep tone... our stomach muscles. The stomach muscles can assist your leg strength and movements since your legs will have a better framework to be supported upon.
If you are looking to build strength at home by exercising but, don't have any dumbbells or weights this exercise band set might be a good place to start. The exercise band set can be used for building arm and leg strength. If you are looking for exercise ideas send an email to info@prestigetherapywellness.com will be glad to assist you.
Besides exercise, I want you to consider the actions you take part in during a given day. Think about how you are positioning your legs during the day, try to avoid crossing your legs, this position can create havoc on our leg joints and vital items within our body. If you do a lot of prolonged standing or sitting, try to avoid standing or sitting in one position too long and try to moving around frequently. Another way to help comfort your legs is to elevate and position your legs using pillows or support for improved blood flow.
If you or someone you know is having difficulty with leg weakness that keeps them from getting around and doing the things they want to do in life, then check out our free report below.
Talk more soon!!
Preston, PT
Click here to get your free copy: https://prestigetherapywellness.lpages.co/knee-and-hip-pain-freebie/
Comments