When it comes to being as functionally fit as possible, people should try to stay as active as they can.
“Inactivity is a big culprit when it comes to problems with functional fitness,” Rhonda says.
“As people get older, they can become inactive, which weakens the muscles and the bones and make them more frail.”
Fortunately, there are numerous simple exercises people can do at home to help improve their functional fitness. For example:
- Sit down and then get up from a chair several times in a row. Strive to be able to do this
10 to 15 times, without using the hands. - Stand and hold onto the back of a sturdy and safe chair. Rise up slowly onto the toes, and then slowly come back down. This will strengthen the calf muscles.
- Stand next to something secure and practice standing and balancing on one foot and then the other. Strive for a goal of 20 to 30 seconds on each side.
- To help with upper body strength, try wall pushups; keep the body straight and push away from the wall for several repetitions.
- Seated situps can help strengthen the midsection and trunk muscles. Sit in a chair with the back straight and arms folded across the chest, and lean forward and then back up to the seated position.
For more information about exercises that can help with functional fitness, check out the Go4Life program from the National Institute on Aging at www.go4life.nia.nih.gov.
