People squat down, then just stand up

outlander said:
There are chair based exercises that can help seniors regain strength and the ability to squat. Squating is very important for mobility and balance.

Yesterday I did a simple leg workout, 5 sets / 10 reps deep barbell squats. My legs and butt are a little sore, but in a good way.

I also sit in a squatting position everyday for a minimum of 30 minutes, usually while outside hanging out with my beloved last surviving chicken who is 11 years old❤️. Since February Trixie has been laying 4 or 5 eggs a week(y).
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I tell you what I do to keep my already very strong legs... strong.. and that is whenever I find myself standing waiting for anything..kettle boiling etc.. I stand on one leg without holding onto anything for the count of 60 seconds.. and then the other for the same amount of time.. It helps with strength, and balance
 
I do plenty of squatting and standing, with weights and also on a balance board, no problem, fortunantly my legs are one part of my body that have held up well.

Now getting up from the ground after laying on my back or down on all fours is a bit harder.
 
I can walk fine and carry fairly heavy things, but stairs and squatting make me realize my legs are much weaker than they used to be. Of course a touch of arthritis can contribute. My knees are very painful if I do anything out of the ordinary.
 
oscash said:
I notice that Asian people squat quite easily. My neighbour is Vietnamese and she goes down on her haunches without any difficulty. and stays there for any amount of time, then bounces up again. She was helping me with some weeding and did. it very quickly.
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That could be because many Asians are brought up using squat toilets. 🤔

Things definitely wouldn’t end well, for me, if that was my only option. 😉🤭😂

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The only thing that builds and strengthens muscles is exercise. Use it or lose it. Five days a week I do a 30-40 minute online exercise class for seniors. It includes squats and lunges to whatever degree one is able. I can easily do full squats and stand back up, but if I couldn't, I'd start with partial squats and eventually work my way into fulls.

I've also started wearing a weighted vest during the class to help build bone mass.

The idea of no longer being spry terrifies me. Like @Ronni, I build all kinds of activity into my usual day, including getting all the way down on the floor and standing back up without using my hands.

Strength and balance are no longer a given as we get older. We have to work at it.
 
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Knight said:
Thought I'd try that squat & stand, no problem at all. Tried 10 more times still bounce right back up. Awhile back I think there was a thread that had a way for seniors to get up from falling or just being down for whatever reason. I've tried that & it works really good. I think that info also had a video of a Canadian nurse showing the technique used. If anyone remembers that advice I think a few of the posters here could use that.

Not really sure but I think it was something Ronni posted
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The last several months I cared for my mom, I was prohibited from lifting her because of my back. Whenever she fell, I'd set either her walker or a slatted wooden chair in front of her and press it to the floor while she sort of climbed it like a ladder. Years later, while I was almost completely disabled myself, I'd use the same technique: crawl over to my walker or a chair or table, and basically climb it.

I've been getting around pretty dang well the past 4-5 months, but if I have to squat down for some reason, I do need to anchor myself by holding on to the nearest piece of furniture, the edge of a counter - even just placing my hand on a wall is sufficient - otherwise, I look like a toddler recovering from his first tumble.

I'm reminded of my Gramps when he got his mail-order "grabber"; a little spring-action claw on the end of a 4ft aluminum pole. He was so thrilled with that gadget, he used it whether he really needed to or not. He got a big kick out of pinching Gramma's butt with it.

He actually bought the grabber for her, so she could get things from upper cabinet shelves when he wasn't around. She was only 4ft 10" (1.2192m). He was 6ft 4" (1.8288m).

The grabber grabbed okay, but if an object had any weight to it, the grabber didn't hold on to it so well. Gramma called it "the dropper."
 
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