Weighted high knees enhance balance and strength in older adults, helping reduce fall risk and maintain mobility.
- Helps maintain balance and prevent falls in older adults
- Improves lower body strength and coordination
- Can be done daily with or without weights
Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults aged 65 years and older; thus, maintaining balance and strength is paramount to staying independent. It is a given that, with age, muscle mass and balance start to naturally decrease, increasing falls. Weighted high knees is an exercise that can readily counter this decline and even enhance the balance, mobility, and strength of aged individuals (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
High Knee Drills
).
Benefits of High Knees
Says physical therapist Shelby York, PT, DPT, OCS, “Balance begins to decline unless we work actively on it as we age.” Muscle mass begins to drop naturally each year after the age of 30. Therefore, it is a must to stay active so that strength, balance, and flexibility are preserved. High knees are an excellent exercise for older adults. They promote joint motion and enhance lower body strength and help maintain balance (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Balance Exercise
).
How to Perform High Knees
High knees involve lifting one knee to hip height while the opposite arm swings forward. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart.
- Lift one knee so it’s parallel to the ground, while bringing the opposite arm forward.
- Alternate legs and arms, ensuring each movement is slow and deliberate.
- For the best results, it should take 1-2 seconds to raise the leg and arm to their full range of motion. It is best to start without weights in order to get the full benefits of the exercise and focus on joint mobility.
Adding Weights for Resistance
After the introduction of high knees, depth, selection of the weight (such as dumb bells or kettlebells) can be added to increase resistance. Nonetheless, using weights makes the exercise more intense, so form should be kept rigid. This is why people should avoid over-emphasizing the use of weights as doing this they might end up straining their muscles and joints.
Frequency and Duration
High knees can be done each and every day and even a little bit of exercise will go a long way every so often. Ideally aim for 12 reps on each leg to notice changes in systamically how your balance, mobility and strength is worsening or improving. Although individual improvements can be seen as early as 2-4 weeks after diligently using the techniques. The exercise can also be done anytime during the day including during a short walk to a nearby store, or just before brushing your teeth. For optimum safety, the exercise should be done close to a stable chair or counter in case the older adult loses balance.
Effectiveness and Limitations
Weight training which comprises the use of resistance exercise like weighted high knees will help increase muscle tissue and decrease fall incidences among the elderly. However, high knees alone is not the issue of the kind ‘one size fits all’ panacea. Other factors which may in some way interfere with balance include certain drugs or pathological conditions that affect inner ears. Balance should also be treated with treatment possibly involving the assistance of doctors.
Advertisement
High knees weighing also presents a form of workout that is recommendable in helping elderly people gain strength, balance, and steadiness. These exercises are easy to do, do not need a spacious area, and can be performed repeatedly per day. When done together with other measures on fall prevention, you and other older people should practice this exercise so as to support our immunities to allow us to stay fall free as we grow older.
Reference:
- High Knee Drills – (https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/kinetic-select/high-knee-drills)
- Balance Exercise – (https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/balance-exercise)
Advertisement
