The 5 Amazing Exercises to Enhance Mobility in Older Adults

TribecaCare
14th May 2025

A Brief Discussion on Mobility for Seniors

Mobility is the primary factor in maintaining independence, especially with growing age. For older adults, the loss of mobility has profound physical, social and psychological impacts. The basic day-to-day movements can cause pain, even injury if muscles and joints are not maintained well. However, the gush of negative impacts that may occur with immobility can be restricted by exercises or physical activities. For this reason, the renowned old age homes in Kolkata are now prioritising exercises to promote the healthy living of their residents. Here in this invaluable guide, we will explore the five amazing exercises that may improve mobility in older adults.

Why is Mobility Important for Senior Citizens?

“Out-of-home mobility is necessary for accessing commodities, making use of neighbourhood facilities, and participating in meaningful social, cultural, and physical activities. Mobility also promotes healthy ageing as it relates to the basic human need for physical movement. Mobility declines with increasing age, and the most complex and demanding tasks are affected first. Sometimes people cope with declining functional capacity by making changes in their way or frequency of doing these tasks, thus avoiding facing manifest difficulties.”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3567319/

Can Exercises Increase the Mobility of Older Adults?

The answer is yes. Certain exercises can help older adults improve their mobility by maintaining joint function and right muscle conditions. “Being physically active can help you control your weight, keep your muscles and bones strong, your joints working properly, your heart healthy, your mood lifted, and your metabolism revved.” Below are some very common exercises the Seniors can do to improve mobility.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/improving-your-mobility

The Exercises to Improve Mobility in Elderly Years

https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/exercises-to-help-seniors
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/5-exercises-to-improve-mobility-for-seniors

1. Upper Body Clam Shell: The first exercise that can promote scapular retraction and increase the shoulder flexibility of seniors is the upper body clam shell.

• First, sit on a chair in an upright position while making your feet flat on the floor
• Develop a goalpost or 90° angle parallel to the floor with your arms
• Get your forearms together in front of your face
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and return your arms to the initial position

2. Chair Squats: Also famous as semi-sits, chair squats are a great way to develop strength in older adults. This exercise will strengthen the knee muscles of the seniors by bending and stretching. Chair squats allow more blood and oxygen to flow around the joints. This helps the older adults to remain strong and supple.

• Stand in front of a chair with your feet hip-width apart
• Make the basic abdominal muscles engaged
• Lower the body slowly to the chair and bow your knees like a sitting position
• Touch the chair sit gently and return to the standing posture

While doing this exercise, ensure to keep your head and chest up. Don’t allow your knees to move past your toes.

3. Seated Abdominal Press: Seated abdominal press is an exercise that enables seniors to strengthen their core muscles. We all know that maintaining the core strength is crucial to promoting stability and overall mobility in seniors. Contact us to learn more about old-age home monthly costs in Kolkata.

• Similar to upper body clam, sit in an upright posture while keeping your feet flat on the ground
• Position your hands on the knees with elbows locked
• Push the palm into the knees
• Hold the posture for 3-5 seconds
• Repeat

4. Side Bends: Side bending is another very prominent basic exercise that seniors can do for increased mobility.

• Sit on a chair with flat feet
• Position one arm outstretched to one side and the other hand behind your head
• Bend to the side as if touching the floor
• Shrink your oblique abdominal muscles and return to the initial position.

5. Low Back Rotation Stretch: The lower lumbar region of our spinal cord is the source of our stretch for doing many tasks. Here comes the significance of stretching the lower regularly. This exercise can enhance the range of motion, lessen back pain, and boost the flexibility of the tendons, muscles and ligaments. It also aids in relieving tensions and morning stiffness among seniors.

• Sit in an upright position on a chair and keep your feet flat
• Twirl your upper body to rotate the shoulder to the left side
• Hold the position for 30-50 seconds
• Return to the starting posture
• Repeat the same on the right side

The Closing Lines

“Limited mobility in older adults consistently predicts both morbidity and mortality. As individuals age, the rates of mobility disability increase from 1.0% in people aged 15–24 to 20.6% in adults over 65 years of age. Physical activity can effectively improve mobility in older adults,” Loss of mobility in older adults is a true problem. But the good news is this problem is preventable and treatable. Doing the exercises we mentioned above can help seniors live the healthiest life possible.
https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-023-07798-9