Strong legs will get you far
Good muscle strength in the body is one of the most important prerequisites for a person's independent functional capacity. However, many older people suffer from muscle weakness.
Taking care of muscle strength is vital, as it prevents accidents such as falls, osteoporosis and musculoskeletal problems.
“It is never too late to start exercising muscle strength", says Minna Nieminen, an entrepreneur in charge of physical activity at Liikuntamixeri Inzoi and Hotel Siuntio. “There is no age limit for learning new things, as people develop at all ages.”
Muscle strength affects independent functional capacity
Nieminen, who has been working with physical activity for over 30 years, has noticed that all aspects of life deteriorate as physical functional capacity deteriorates.
"In particular, the muscle strength of the feet determines our right to self-determination and the extent of our living environment", she says.
As muscle strength deteriorates, older people start avoiding places with stairs. When the shopping bags start to feel heavy, there are fewer trips to the shops. When the basic chores start feeling difficult, you become passive and withdrawn. The result is a vicious circle.
A person who doesn't move becomes cautious and moves less and less. At the same time, social and cognitive stimuli are reduced. Deterioration in functional capacity due to lack of muscle strength has an impact on overall health.
Nieminen refers to scientific research in which the link between large lower limb muscles and the brain nervous system has been studied.
"The study shows that weight-lifting exercises in legs send signals to the brain that are vital for the production of healthy nervous cells and thus essential to the brain and nervous system.”
Strong muscles prevent falls
According to Nieminen, taking care of muscle strength is important not only for individuals but also for the society. Weak muscles have significant economic impacts.
“Approximately 400,000 falling accidents occur in Finland every year, some of which are due to lack of muscle strength. The total cost of accidents exceeds EUR 2 billion. The weakening of mental, social and cognitive functional capacity due to lack of muscle strength are also expensive.”
Nieminen encourages older citizens to boldly and curiously take part in low-threshold exercise groups.
“At the same time, the groups provide opportunities to engage socially, interact and receive peer support. There might be others in the group whose knees make a funny noise”, she smiles.
The ideal number of muscle exercises is two to three times a week. It is recommended to include other physical activities.
“We don’t do muscle workout to admire ourselves in the mirror – we do it to use muscle strength in everyday life”, Nieminen points out.
Self-esteem improves with muscle fitness
According to Nieminen, the first thing is to be aware that we can have a great deal of influence on our health.
“Everyone has their personal starting point; there is no point in comparing yourself to others. Nor should we think of exercise as a punishment, but as a wonderful thing we have deserved. You have to love yourself so much that you do good things for yourself. It's not narcissism.”
Nieminen operates in Siuntio, where senior sports are organised by the municipality, sports clubs and private companies. She provides exercise guidance for individuals, communities and organisations, and sees the importance of muscle fitness daily.
“When the muscle strength targets for older people are met, it is always rewarding to see how the self-esteem of older people develops along with physical empowerment. Without muscle strength, we simply cannot survive”, she sums up.
Strengthen your muscles at home
Try Minna’s easy and effective home exercise that activates and strengthens the leg muscles.
Standing up from a chair
Sit on the front edge of a chair.
Keep your toes and knees aligned throughout the movement.
Maintain good posture, don’t let your back bend.
Focus and make sure you are using your thigh and buttock muscles.
- Get up from the chair. The knees are extended, but do not “lock” your knees.
- Use your bottom, and tighten your buttocks when in standing position.
- The hips extend.
- Sit down slowly, and repeat the exercise 20 times.
- If the exercise causes problems, start gradually and increase the number of repetitions.
- Do the exercise daily and increase the number of times you do it.
- When the exercise starts to feel easy, you can add dumbbells to make the movement more efficient.
- Promoting health and wellbeing