There is no question that being able to move is critical to maintaining the quality of your life and longevity as you enter your later years. Your mobility- the ability to move purposefully as you carry on your daily activities- allows you to be independent and active, pursue your interests, meet your essential needs, and stay strong and engaged in all things that matter to you. Given the importance of mobility, it’s essential that you keep your leg muscles strong and resilient. Under the theory of “use it or lose it,” your leg muscles allow you to maintain an active and engaged life, which is essential for both physical and cognitive health. 

While there are many reasons why your legs may feel weak or unsteady, muscle atrophy or weakness from lack of exercise and strength training can easily occur if you don’t pay attention. You may think regular walking will solve the problem of leg strength, but the reality is that many joints and muscles don’t get full consideration if walking is the only thing you do to maintain your leg strength. There are hip and knee joints, and glutes and hamstrings that need attention beyond walking, and that need dedicated strength training for your legs to not only have strength but also the power to move quickly and purposefully. Really, your entire lower body is involved in keeping you mobile, so your exercises and strength training need to focus on the full range of motion that your hips, legs, and ankles require. Paying attention to all of these areas will help with balance and fall prevention and will ensure that you maintain your independence and an active lifestyle. For a series of movement and strength training exercises to keep you strong and steady, grab your water bottle and look here. Make sure you also check out the latest video from our friends at Yes2Next, which specifically focuses on leg exercises for older adults. And for a refresher, take a look at our previous agebuzz post on the value of doing squats for leg strength.

One recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research demonstrates the value of using available stairs to strengthen the legs of older adults. Instead of opting for the elevator, taking the stairs may be just the extra conditioning you need to improve the strength and power in your legs. According to this research, which compared using a leg press machine versus stair climbing in a group of 46 healthy adults aged 65-80, building up the strength, power and stamina to quickly ascend stairs may not only improve your leg strength and power, but may also improve your walking speed and ability to stand up from sitting in a chair. While using both the leg press machine and stair climbing achieved impressive results in these older participants, using stairs may be easier and more accessible. Researchers involved in the study suggested that good results could be achieved by just consistently committing yourself to regular 10-minute stair sessions. And if you want to subsequently make the stair climbing more challenging for better results, just add some weights or water bottles to a backpack and strap it on for a greater challenge.

Finally, one additional, accessible, and cost-effective way to strengthen your various leg muscles is to use resistance bands. These bands are an easy way to achieve results without needing to lift heavy weights or drag yourself to a gym. While the bands can be effective for many areas of your body (back, shoulders, chest, arms, or legs), you can specifically employ them, either standing or sitting, to help improve the strength and power of your legs while also shoring up your balance. To get some ideas about how to use these bands for your legs, watch here.