Over 60? Best Exercises for Getting Up From the Floor More Easily
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One of the struggles of getting older is little things you do daily become more strenuous.
Getting up from the floor is one of those things you had no trouble doing in your younger years but becomes a daily struggle as you age.
This is because the older you get, you naturally begin to lose flexibility, mobility, strength, stability, and balance.
As you lose muscle mass due to aging, your body becomes frailer and loses stability. This can lead to a limited range of motion and more restricted movements.
These all contribute to something as simple as getting up off the floor a more challenging task.
But, the decline in mobility isn’t entirely unavoidable. In fact, it can be prevented with certain exercises.
Daily practice of functional, strengthening exercises can help you maintain lean muscle mass. It can also help maintain flexibility, range of motion, and overall mobility.
Especially these two exercises mimic the very movements of getting up and help your body train for the movements.
They simulate pushing off on one leg to get your body up and also balancing the body as you come up.
The more you perform these exercises, the more flexible and mobile your body becomes and the more strength you build in your muscles and joints.
Together, they make your daily movements like getting up off the floor much easier and effortless!
Here are 2 get-up exercises that’ll help you get up off the floor remarkably easier.
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1. Single Leg Box Squat
The single-leg box squat is a squat variation that’s safer and extremely effective in building leg strength.
For anyone struggling to get up off the floor, this gentler squat variation helps you train for the movements. It mimics the movements of getting up and builds stability and balance.
What’s more, this exercise also trains for the range of motion that takes to squat down to get on the floor. This makes both getting on the floor and getting up off the floor easier and less strenuous.
This single-leg low-box squat is a bilateral exercise that trains one leg at a time. This is beneficial for anyone with imbalances as our bodies have the natural tendency to compensate for the weaker side. Exercises that work on one side of the body independently are a great way to correct imbalances and strengthen the weaker side.
Performing on one leg adds resistance to the performing leg and requires much concentration to create the balance.
This is an ideal exercise for people of all fitness levels. Just by adjusting the height of your bench or box, you can make it easier or harder.
It’s an excellent mobility exercise that trains your hips, glutes, hamstrings, ankles, and core.
How to perform the single-leg box squat:
Stand straight with a bench or box behind you. Raise the right foot, so you are standing on the left foot alone.
Straighten your arms out in front of your body at chest level to maintain your balance. Slowly extend your right leg out and bend your left knee.
Tighten your core and glutes. Hinge your hips back and slowly begin to squat down on the left leg as if you are sitting down on the box behind you.
When your hips touch the box, press through the left foot to come back up. That’s one rep. Perform 10 reps and switch sides. Aim 2-3 sets.
2. Prisoner Get-Up
The prisoner get-up is one exercise that builds great core stability, balance, and leg strength.
It’s a dynamic move that conditions your full body for movements that involve getting up off the floor.
With your hands clasped behind the head, your body is forced to recruit more muscles to bring balance when getting up.
In one move, it works your quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, and hips.
It also engages the spinal stabilizing muscles to help promote proper posture and better upper body strength.
It’s a functional exercise that benefits way beyond getting up from the floor.
Besides its functional benefits, this move is one great conditioning workout. It gets your body moving, tests your balance and stability, and even challenges your stamina when performed at high volume.
If you find this workout too challenging, you can also perform with one hand on a wall or something stable for assistance.
The getting up part of the exercise trains your legs to be stronger and more flexible. It’ll make your daily tasks of getting up from the floor that much easier and less strenuous.
How to Do the Prisoner Squat
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart with your hands clasped behind the head. Pull your elbows outwards, so your shoulders can stay open.
- Brace your core and glutes. Get down on your knees one knee at a time while keeping your back straight and flat.
- From this position, come back to the standing position one leg at a time using your core. That’s one rep. Repeat 10 reps per side and aim 2-3 sets.
