Twenty-four sessions of fitness tutorials for the elderly

The core of the "24-Section Tutorial on Fitness for the Elderly" is not to ask all the elderly to follow the same movements to complete the standard check-in. Instead, it is based on the core principles of "low load, smooth joints, heavy breathing, and staged training". It is suitable for people over 60 years old with different basic diseases and different exercise abilities. It is a universal exercise program for the elderly that can flexibly adjust the range of movements and training duration. There is no mandatory requirement that all 24 sections must be completed and the movements must be in place.

I have been working at a community elderly sports guidance station for almost four years, and I have handled at least 200 elderly people. When I first promoted this set of 24 exercises, I ran into many pitfalls. In the first half year, two elderly people were admitted to the hospital because of hard-core movement standards. The 72-year-old Aunt Wang had a lumbar disc herniation. She had to bend down and touch her toes according to the online instructional video. She suffered a lumbar protrusion that day and had to lie down for half a month. Later, we gradually figured out that this set of movements was originally an "empty frame". How to fill in the content depends on the physical condition of the person practicing.

The twenty-four festivals for the elderly that are currently circulating in the market are actually divided into two major branches. There is no conclusion yet on which one is the "authentic" one. One school is adapted from the traditional Daoyin technique, and incorporates the movement logic of Baduanjin and Wuqinxi. Each movement corresponds to the internal organs or solar terms, and pays attention to "noting the arrival of Qi". When practicing, you must cooperate with abdominal breathing, inhale when raising your hands, and exhale when lowering your hands. It is suitable for elderly people who do not have obvious bone and joint problems and like a slow pace. Many elderly people over the age of 75 that I have met prefer to practice this version. There are no rigid requirements for exerting force. They can do it slowly and feel that their chest is open and they can even sleep much better. The other school was developed by the sports rehabilitation academic community in recent years. It focuses more on muscle activation and joint protection. Each movement has a clear training goal. For example, the ankle pump in the first session trains the blood circulation of the lower limbs, and the shoulder rotation in the second session trains the mobility of the rotator cuff. It is suitable for the elderly with bone and joint degeneration and many basic diseases. The requirements of this school are more flexible, and the range of motion can be adjusted at will. As long as the target muscles feel sore and swollen, it is considered to be in place. The two groups had debated at the senior sports seminar before. We grassroots instructors don't care about which one. We will recommend which elderly person is comfortable and not injured after practicing. It is just like wearing shoes. The most important thing is the fit. Don't force yourself to wear a smaller size just to look good. It will hurt your own feet.

Don't listen to what is said on the Internet that you need to practice for 30 minutes every day and do all 24 sessions to be effective. I have seen many old people just pick 3 or 4 sessions to practice, and the effect is much better than doing the complete set. For example, if elderly people at risk of diabetic foot practice three sessions of ankle pumps, calf raises, and seated leg hooks every day for 10 minutes each time for half a year, most of the numbness in their lower limbs can be relieved a lot. For elderly people with bone spurs and synovitis in their knees, they deleted all the squatting and knee-turning movements and replaced them with static contraction of the quadriceps muscles in a seated position - that is, sitting with the legs stretched forward, tightening the muscles in the front of the thighs, holding for 3 seconds, and then releasing them. It is very simple. My mother has three or four bone spurs in her knees. After practicing for three months, she now goes to the vegetable market and walks for two hours without any pain in her legs.

Oh, by the way, there are certain types of movements that you really need to be careful about and don’t do blindly. For example, elderly people with carotid artery plaque and vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis must not do the movement of turning the neck in a large way. Just turn the head 15 degrees. Don't do it like that person who desperately leans back and shakes his neck from side to side. In the past, there was an uncle Li in our community who just followed the video and shook his neck. He fainted on the spot and broke his bones. It was not worth the gain. There are also movements of holding your breath and exerting force. Elderly people with high blood pressure and coronary heart disease must not do this. During the exercise, you must keep your breathing smooth throughout the whole process and don't hold it in until your face turns red. This is not fitness, but risking your life. When I adjust movements for the elderly, I usually give them a simple judgment standard: it's okay to feel a little sore and swollen during practice. If you feel pain, dizziness, or chest tightness, stop immediately, even if you have just finished half of the movement. There is no need to compare with others. Uncle Zhang next door can raise his hands above his head. If it hurts when you raise it to your shoulders, then just raise it to your shoulders. No one will give you marks, so why do you need that standard?

Speaking of which, this set of twenty-four exercises has been circulating for almost ten years. There have been many revised versions. In fact, it is essentially to find an exercise method for us elderly people to practice at home or in the community. There is no golden rule. If you feel relaxed all over after practicing, eat well and sleep soundly, then you have practiced it correctly, and it is more effective than any standard stated by experts. If you are really not sure which movements are suitable for you, go to the rehabilitation department of the community hospital and ask a few questions. They can call up a unique version for you in two or three minutes, which is very convenient.