Bed Exercises for Elderly Adults

We know that staying active and moving is crucial to our health as we age. Flexibility and mobility exercises can help keep our muscles and joints in shape, and movement keeps our hearts healthy as well. But what happens when our senior loved one is confined to their bed?

We bet you didn’t know there are many exercises for seniors that your loved one can do from the comfort of their bed or favorite recliner. 

Bed exercises for elderly adults – or anyone who has a mobility issue that keeps them in bed – are a great way to manage weight, maintain muscle mass, prevent bedsores, and improve mood, among other things. 

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Exercises in Bed for Seniors

Some arm exercises for elderly adults in bed can include:

• Shoulder shrugging: Best done sitting up straight, shrug the shoulders up to as close to the ears as possible, hold for a count of 5, and then release all the way down. Repeat five to ten times. 
• Arm raises: Start with your arms at your sides and then raise them so they are straight out in front of you (parallel with the floor) or all the way above your head and then lower them back down. Repeat five to ten times. You can also raise your arms out to the side so you will make a T shape with your body. You can do this exercise with both arms at the same time or one arm at a time, your choice. 

Some leg strengthening exercises for seniors in bed can include:

• Leg rotation: Lay down flat with your legs out in front of you. Keep one leg still and move the other away from the still leg as far as possible – so your legs almost make a V shape. Then bring that leg back to the starting position. Repeat five to ten times then do the same with the other leg. 
• Ankle rotation: With your legs straight out in front of you, lift your ankle slightly off the bed. Rotate the ankle slowly clockwise and counterclockwise until you feel a light stretch. You can do both legs at the same time or one at a time. 
• Ankle stretches: Stretch your feet and ankles by pointing your toes as far away from you as possible (think ballerina) and then pulling your toes back towards your body. This can be done sitting up or laying down, and can also be done for you by a caretaker if needed. You can repeat the movement five to ten times to get a nice stretch in the ankles and feet. 

Head and neck bed stretches for seniors can include:

• Head rotation: Drop the chin to the chest and then slowly rotate the head clockwise then counterclockwise. The best way to do this is to imagine making a circle with your nose. Be sure to do this slowly and not look straight up if it irritates your neck. 
• Head turns: These can be done either laying down or sitting up. Simply turn your head to look over your shoulder and feel a stretch along the opposite side of your neck – so if you are looking over your right shoulder, you will feel the stretch in the left side of your neck. 

All these exercises should be done carefully and stopped immediately if any pain is noticed. While an exercise or stretch may be challenging, it should not hurt. Always consult with a medical professional or physical therapist if you aren’t sure what exercises you or your loved one should be doing.