Best exercises to strengthen your legs

Many older adults focus on cardiovascular health and don’t do enough work to strengthen and maintain their muscles. Leg exercises are a great way to get your heart rate up at the same time and building stability and tone into your legs. The biggest mistake that people make when designing their own leg program is missing the muscles in the back of the body which can cause injury and weaknesses.

Butt muscle exercises (gluteus medius, gluteus maximus) try:

1. Lying on your back with your knees bent and lifting your bottom up 10 times. Make sure that you keep your knees apart and only lift your bottom to knee height.

2. Kneeling (use a padded mat or pillows if this is hard on your knees) and slowly kick one heel up to the ceiling. Do it 10 times on either side.
Hamstring muscle (biceps femoris, semitendinosus) try:

3. Lying on the floor with your feet up on a stability ball (big round soft ball). Pull the ball in towards you and then push it back to the starting point. Try it 6-8 times.

4. Standing with an elastic exercise band underneath your shoes and holding on to the handles or ends of the band. Flex your foot and kick the leg directly back 10 times on either side.

Good Luck
Erin Billowits
Vintage Fitness
416-951-7978
Serving Toronto including Mississauga, North York, Newmarket, Oakville and Burlington