I am currently in my 70s. Kindly let me know how to keep my legs strong.
– Femi (by SMS)
To keep your legs strong in old age, you don’t need to join a gym or spa, and you don’t need to use weights. You can strengthen your leg muscles and keep them in shape right from home. So keep it simple-exercise on your own time, in the comfort of your home, where you’re more likely to actually do it.
It’s simple, it works, doesn’t take a lot of time, and it makes you as active as ever. Some of the exercises include three sets of squats daily, doing as many as you can comfortably per set. This will strengthen your thigh muscles, work your knee joints, and tighten up the butt muscles.
Keep your feet flat on the floor, back straight, hands on your hips, and squat until you reach what will feel like a natural stopping point. Walking is also very important. Nothing will strengthen your overall leg muscles like walking. Walking works every muscle in your legs, feet, and ankles, and tightens the butt muscles.
The beauty of walking is that you can adapt it to your individual stride, pace, distance, and endurance, and walk wherever you like to walk. At least once each day, stretch out the calf muscles in each leg by extending one leg back as far as it will go while still being able to keep that foot flat on the floor. You will reach a point where the calf muscle starts to ‘burn,’ and that’s where you stop for a count of ten or more. Over time, you will be able to stretch it more and for a longer period of time. You can use a wall or other stationary object to support your balance while you stretch out each leg.