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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2024. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgrPiW4HrUI&t=592s
Brad: All right, Julie is going to show you the best exercises to get strong legs to improve your balance, as well as keep you active into your older years. Julie is 62 years old and she's going to show you what she can do and how it's going to help anybody who wants to continue to be vibrant and strong, go ahead, Julie.
Julie: Okay, well, I'm almost 63 actually, but I'm a big advocate for older adults to stay active and healthy. A lot of things that make me happy are just being active. I love to do lots of outdoor activities such as paddle boarding, bicycling, hiking, and water skiing, and just because I'm 62, almost 63, doesn't mean I can't continue to do those things.
Brad: That's right, and you should see her chase after the four, five, and 7-year-old grandkids. That's always a treat. They can hardly keep away from her. Julie, this shirt, let's talk about it just a little bit. It is loud, what's going on with it?
Julie: This is my bicycling shirt, so it has to be bright.
Brad: Yeah, turn around, I like the back of it, good. Look at that, "We can do it." So this is part of her bicycling group and they go out and bike hard. They're doing hills in the La Crosse area, and it's fun. All right, let's get into the exercises and a little bit more serious activity with those legs. Now I want to put my two cents in about leg strengthening as a physical therapist. When people have strong legs, it can be a game changer. It allows them to go hiking to do activities that they normally wouldn't do and it keeps their balance so they don't fall, very important. Now one thing before we get into this, if you want to join along, that's great, or when you do these, do not do them too aggressively the first time, particularly if you've been sedentary. What will happen is you're going to get sore muscles. The next day you're going to be sore walking around. You're going to be cursing me out. Maybe Julie, but probably me, and too much too soon is a big thing. So take it easy the first day or so, take a break between each day, and then build into it. You will get stronger. All right, let's go on to the very first one. We're doing this in two different sections. First of all, some beginner exercises, three of them, and then if that's too easy for you or you build up and advance past them, we're going to show you three good, strong exercises that will definitely keep you going and get you stronger. All right, the first one is lunges. Now if you haven't done lunges before, they do incorporate a balance component. So the first thing, just show the basic lunge first please, Julie, good.
Brad: She's got a good, tall posture, she's upright. You don't want to bring your knee too far past your toes. If there's no pain, you can, but just be careful. Sometimes that will cause pain. She's doing all these on the right side. You can do up to 10 on one leg and then do 10 on the other or show them how you can do the alternating leg. This is strictly up to you. Right leg, and then step forward with the left leg and then continue to alternate it.
Brad: You can see Julie is using her hand for balance on the plinth at home, just simply use the countertop or a tabletop for balance. How are your legs holding up, Julie?
Julie: Good.
Brad: I'm not tired at all. Keep going then, Julie does have really strong legs. She's really a proponent of leg strength. Now if it's too easy, simply use your fingertips. That will stress the balance, go ahead. Now just go to one fingertip. Now just a tip, just a tip. In therapy, this is exactly how I promote people's balance as they progress. Now as you go on and you don't need that at all, you can simply put your hands on your hips. Or what do you like to do, Julie?
Julie: Yeah, I would put my hands on my hips.
Brad: Good, all right, now you can see, you may not be able to do this many to start out with and I would not advise it. Now another option for the lunge is actually to go backward which is a really nice option that's going to help your balance and your proprioception, but that's into the therapy realm. Can you demonstrate it, Julie? Now do you find these a little more difficult as far as balance?
Julie: It works out great with your hand on the table or bed.
Brad: So it's more difficult or easier than going forward?
Julie: Actually I think it's easier.
Brad: Easier, you're unusual, most people find it more difficult because you can't see where your foot is going and sometimes that throws people off. Now do you like to go one foot at a time or alternate going backward?
Julie: I like to do one foot at a time. Just focus on the one side.
Brad: Sure, sure, so you're feeling I'm assuming this muscle worked the most, the quadriceps.
Julie: Definitely, yep, right in through here?
Brad: Yep, okay, if you want to alternate, you can do that as well. If I'm working with a patient for balance, I will have them alternate right to left because that's a functional motion.
Julie: Oh, sorry. I was focusing on my quad muscle there.
Brad: Yeah, she's starting to feel her quads burn is what she's saying. Okay, let's get onto the next one. All right, let's go into squats. This is a nice one and there are some real common problems that beginners actually do with this. Typically people oftentimes will have their feet close together and then they actually lean forward and flex at their hips too much. Can you demonstrate that?
Brad: There you go, so she's mostly got hip flexion. We're not working the legs. A little bit, but not much. So stand back up tall, Julie. Feet about shoulder width or a little bit wider apart. Go a little wider than that. Let's exaggerate a little bit. Okay, shoulders back, good posture. We're using the chair for balance. We'll progress to without the chair if you're ready, go ahead, Julie.
Brad: There, now look at the difference here. She's got great posture here. Look at her back is straight. Arched in a little bit, even better. She's squatting at the knees. Her knees are not going over her toes very much. Less stress on the knee joint itself and a lot of work comes from the quadriceps and the glute muscles. Perfect job, 10 of these is typically what we're going for. How are you feeling, Julie?
Julie: Good.
Brad: Good, excellent, now let's go on to the next one. All right, now this third beginner exercise, we're going to use a stairway. Hopefully, there is at least one rail to help with your balance. If you have two, you can use both hands. I like this one particularly because it works strengthening and function. Getting up and down stairs gets harder as you get older. The more you do this, it'll just be one of those things that's natural as it was when you were younger. So Julie shows how people sometimes will do this improperly. So she's leaning forward, poor posture, and she's just bringing the foot off the ground a little bit.
Brad: If you're going to do it like this you may not realize it, but if you are, it's really not doing anything. We need to do it properly, so she's going to straighten up, with a good, strong posture. Bring the one foot up and go ahead and do the technique, go ahead. Good, notice as she does this, she comes up, with good posture, and this foot actually completes by touching and then going back down so you have complete motion.
Brad: There you go, do 10 on one leg. Go ahead, and do 10 on the other. If you prefer doing alternating, go ahead. I personally prefer it because it's more functional. You don't go up steps one at a time, typically you alternate, but that is up to you. As far as strengthening, it won't make much difference, if any at all. How are you doing, Julie?
Julie: Great.
Brad: Good, you're doing a nice job of making this look easy. Now we're going to go through a whole nother series of this. It'll only take a minute or two, the more advanced techniques if that's what you're looking for. Julie, are you ready for that?
Julie: I am, yes.
Brad: You're going to start sweating a little bit.
Julie: Okay, let's go. Okay, so we're going to start out with a walking lunge. Sometimes it's nice to hold the Booyah Stik out just to keep your balance a little bit better.
Brad: Let's look at this. This is not just a Booyah Stik. This is our Booyah Stik. This is a baby Booyah Stik. Actually you don't need one of these. Simply use a cane, a stick, or whatever you want. And you don't have to use it, but I know Julie prefers it. It helps her with her balance.
Julie: Okay, and then we're just going to start walking forward.
Brad: Good, nice job, again, the balance on this is quite a bit more challenging than the previous exercises. Any other variations that you'd like to do with this, Julie?
Julie: Yeah, we can do it without. I mean, obviously you can do it without the Booyah Stik or you can just keep walking without breaking in between.
Brad: Ah, there you go, so it's a continuous motion. Can you do that backward?
Julie: That's a good question.
Brad: Put you on the spot. She's doing wonderful, all right. Good, this particular exercise is really good if you're a bicycler for hill climbing, getting those quads and glutes strengthened for something functional like that, and staying active outside. All right, Julie did want to show one other option that she uses and that's actually using the dumbbells, not the baby Booyah Stik, go ahead. So tell them about the dumbbells there.
Julie: Yeah, so it just adds a little bit more resistance.
Brad: She's using three pounds on each hand. She usually uses 25 pounds, but we didn't have them here. I'm just kidding but go ahead. Yeah, whatever weight works for you so you can do these safely, and comfortably and it does make, does that make quite a bit of difference, Julie? Those even three pounds.
Julie: Yeah, it has definitely added some resistance. Makes it a little bit more challenging.
Brad: Good, all right, let's get onto the next one. All right, we cannot get away without doing the inevitable squats. She's got three different options. Go ahead, Julie, show them.
Julie: All right, so shoulders back, and then we're just going to squat down low.
Brad: Good, now you put your hands out with the baby Booyah Stik. That's strictly their choice, right?
Julie: Right, yep, usually I don't use a Booyah Stik. I just put my hands out.
Brad: How about your feet? Make sure your feet are wide. I even go a little wider than that. I always emphasize a wide base. You're stronger, you're more stable. Here's the next variation. Julie's going to continue to have wide feet and good posture, but watch what she does with her toes. Up on the toes, whoa. Do it again, keep going. So here we're working on balance, as well as the calf muscles which are critical for walking, running, biking, and everything. It's just a little thing that can make a big difference.
Brad: Good, I like the arm motion. It's like you're praying, nice. All right, now there is actually one more option that's more difficult, we call it plyometrics. Go ahead, Julie, show them how that works. Ah, yeah, you just keep doing that. I'm going to talk about it a little bit. These are known as plyometrics.
Brad: You want to spring up and spring down. It definitely works some muscles. If you want to get more athletic, athletes do plyometrics all the time to get to their peak, how are you doing?
Julie: Yeah, I'm out of breath. We also call those jump squats.
Brad: Jump squats, yeah, okay, great. That is a wonderful accent. Yeah, thank you, Julie. Let's break one second and you wanted to talk a little bit about keeping older people active, particularly women, right?
Julie: Right. All right, so one of my main reasons for coming on today is because I just make sure that we're encouraging women to stay active from all ages, especially up into your 50s, 60s, and 70s. No reason that you can't stay active. Bicycling, hiking, playing pickleball, all those things are fun, keep you fit, and then it's also a great social activity so that you can keep in contact with people.
Brad: And I think things like this, particularly when you retire and that daily routine changes from running all over the place to all of a sudden maybe an empty space. A wonderful way, and Julie's wonderful with this. She has a bike group that she rides with. You go to burn boot camp, she does pickleball. I can't keep up with her.
Julie: Yeah, I think it just keeps you young and it's just great to be involved in the community and activities, and it also is a good role model for your kids and grandkids to see that you're staying active and being active every day.
Brad: Absolutely.
Julie: No sitting in front of the TV.
Brad: Yeah, get away from the TV, away from the screens, the silly cell phone. Get yourself out and enjoy the air, but Julie did work at the hospital, with keeping people safe, right?
Julie: Right, employee health and safety and security, and we just want to make sure that, yeah.
Brad: So every time I do something at home with anything, she says safety glasses on, wear your helmet. And look at you. This is her biking outfit here to keep visible, so stay safe. Did you want to say hi to your biking group?
Julie: I do, yes, our bike group is called WOW Two and that means Women on Wheels. Yep, we stay active and engaged throughout the summer.
Brad: How long do your rides get on the summer nights?
Julie: We usually go from 20 to 35 miles on a weeknight. On weekends we do closer to 50 miles.
Brad: Great, and we live in LaCross which means there are bluffs. There are about two to 300 feet vertical at least and some of them are pretty darn steep. So they get through it and I'm real proud of Julie, and it's a wonderful group of women. All right, if you want to watch another video with Julie showing strengthening, we've got arm strength and shoulder strength, "Lose Arm Flab, Using Body Weight, Dumbbells, or Bands." She does an excellent job again. Make sure you watch it like it and give us good comments. Or her, it's easier to comment for Julie than a good one for me, right?
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