Older adults need to be careful when performing certain movements in their daily lives, as even a slight oversight can potentially harm their health and cause damage and trouble. It is particularly important to be cautious when performing the following 7 movements.
Regular Stair Climbing
As the joints of older adults start to degenerate or have already degenerated, the pressure on the knee joints when going up and down stairs is 3-5 times the body weight. Regular stair climbing can accelerate joint aging. Additionally, older adults are prone to falls, which can lead to bone injuries and conditions.
It is advisable for older adults to avoid stair climbing as an exercise routine. It is important to know one's limits. If any discomfort is felt in the knee joints, it is necessary to stop immediately and seek medical attention.
Quick Head Turning
The neck contains important structures such as the cervical spine, dense nerves, and blood vessels. The carotid arteries on both sides of the neck supply 80% of the blood to the brain, and signals from the brain pass through the neck. Older adults often have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Quick head turning can cause dizziness and, in severe cases, can trigger acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events or neck fractures. Older adults with conditions such as hypertension, cervical spondylosis, and osteoporosis should especially avoid quick head turning.
It is recommended to consciously slow down when turning the head to avoid any discomfort.
Bending Over and Stretching
This exercise involves standing with legs straight and then bending over to touch the feet with both hands, which stretches the leg ligaments. It is a common exercise for older adults. However, bending over to touch the feet can have adverse effects on the spine, bones, muscles, etc. The most direct effect is muscle injury in the lower back due to improper control of the force. Additionally, when exercising, as the head is lowered, it can cause severe cerebral congestion. If one gets up too vigorously, it can also cause a sudden increase in blood pressure and dizziness, leading to fainting. Therefore, caution should be exercised when performing this exercise.
Sit-ups
There are three major risks for older adults doing sit-ups: firstly, the need for anterior core strength when holding the head, but insufficient strength in the arm muscles may lead to imbalance; secondly, sit-up exercises involve almost the entire spine, and many older adults have problems with their cervical and lumbar spine, coupled with osteoporosis, making them prone to sports injuries; finally, the position of the head changes significantly, mainly with the head lowered, which can cause an increase in blood pressure in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and result in accidents.
Walking Backwards
When walking backwards, the balance, vision, and reaction abilities of older adults are diminished, making it easy to cause accidents. If an unexpected sound is heard, there is a reflex to suddenly turn around, further increasing the risk to health.
Normal walking is actually the best exercise. While walking, one can also hold and rotate a fitness ball or a walnut in hand, which is beneficial for stimulating peripheral nerves.
Getting Up Suddenly
Older adults should follow the "221" principle when getting up: after waking up, lie in bed with eyes open for 2 minutes, sit on the bed for 2 minutes, then sit on the edge of the bed for 1 minute, and finally stand up and move around. When a person just wakes up, their blood pressure rises rapidly. Therefore, older adults with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should avoid getting up too quickly and too forcefully to prevent harm. Additionally, getting up too vigorously can also cause postural hypotension, leading to insufficient blood supply to the brain and resulting in fainting or dizziness.
Straining during Bowel Movements
Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as hypertension have decreased blood vessel elasticity. When straining during bowel movements, the increased abdominal pressure increases peripheral vascular resistance, leading to an increase in blood pressure. If excessive force is exerted at this time, it can potentially cause a sudden increase in intracranial vascular pressure and cerebral hemorrhage. Older adults should take their time when having a bowel movement. It is important to develop a regular bowel movement habit and consume plenty of vegetables and fruits to prevent constipation.
