1. Warm up fully before exercise, and exercise step by step.
Dr Catherine Koina, an American plastic surgeon, pointed out that compared with young people, elderly people are more likely to suffer sports injuries when they exercise too much or too fast. Therefore, the elderly should adhere to the principle of gradual progress when exercising, and must fully warm up before exercising, such as walking for a while before running, jogging for a few minutes before playing tennis or skipping rope for a while.
Practice squatting
Dr Stuart Phillips, a professor of human kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada, pointed out that squatting exercise is the best way for the elderly to prevent sports injuries and maintain leg and waist strength. The operation method of squat is: take a standing posture, with legs slightly apart, shoulder width apart, and keep your back straight. Slowly squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then get up slowly, which can be done for 20 times in a row.
Step 3: Practice lying support.
Dr. Koina pointed out that practicing supine support can exercise the core muscle groups of the elderly, so that they will not be injured due to poor muscle function during exercise. Sit-ups and push-ups are very similar. The operation method is: lie on the ground, support your body with your forearms, and straighten your body (the trunk can't touch the ground, and your back can't arch or bend). Keep this action for 30 seconds and practice it 3 ~ 5 times (once every 30 seconds).
4. Always practice "standing on one leg"
Wanda Thomas Light, the author of the best-selling book "Fitness after 40", pointed out that the elderly often do balance exercises to prevent falls and sprained ankles. One-legged independence is a simple and easy balancing exercise. Its operation method is: stand on one leg for 20 seconds, and then practice with the other leg, several times a day. After practicing standing on one leg for a while, try to practice with your eyes closed.
5. Pay attention to protect achilles tendon
It is found that Achilles tendon injury is one of the most common sports injuries for elderly runners. In order to protect the achilles tendon, the elderly should always stretch the achilles tendon. The method of stretching Achilles tendon is: stand against the wall, stretch one leg backwards (the foot should touch the ground), keep stretching Achilles tendon for about 30 seconds, slowly bend the knees of both legs, then keep this state for about 30 seconds, and do the same action with the other leg.
6. Actively prevent and treat pain.
Thomas Light pointed out that the stem cells responsible for repairing damaged tissues in the muscles of the elderly will be significantly reduced, and even a slight muscle tear will easily cause long-term pain. Therefore, the elderly should go to the hospital as soon as possible if they have severe pain and can't bear to continue exercising.
7. Enhance the strength of shoulder muscles
Dr. Koina pointed out that with the increase of age, the water content in people's tendons and ligaments will be significantly reduced, so they will become more vulnerable, especially the tendons and ligaments in the shoulders. Therefore, the elderly should practice chest enlargement or exercise on a stretcher to enhance shoulder muscle strength and prevent shoulder muscle strain.
8. Drink milk often
Dr Phillips pointed out that if the elderly take enough protein, they can significantly enhance muscle strength. Milk contains a lot of protein, which is one of the best drinks for the elderly when they exercise.
9. Massage the arch with a hard ball.
Heel pain and arch pain are the most common diseases in sports for the elderly. If the elderly do not take effective treatment measures after these symptoms appear, it will often lead to "plantar fasciitis". Thomas Light pointed out that patients with heel pain or arch pain can put a hard ball (such as golf ball) on the soles of their feet for rolling massage, so as to relax the muscles at the arch and quickly relieve local pain.
10. Do strength training regularly.
The results of many studies show that after 14 weeks of strength training, the muscle fiber can increase by 10%, and the tendon stiffness can be reduced by more than 64% after exercise. It should be noted that the elderly should carry out strength training step by step under the guidance of professional fitness coaches to avoid muscle injury.