Exercise & Strength
Exercises designed to keep you doing what matters
The right exercise programme doesn't just improve fitness. It preserves your ability to cook, shop, dress, and live on your terms. At Arcadia Rehab, every exercise is mapped to a specific daily living outcome, so you always know whyyou're doing it and what it helps you do.
Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) begins as early as age 30 and accelerates after 60. Without intervention, seniors can lose 3-8% of muscle mass per decade. But research consistently shows this decline is not inevitable. With the right program, seniors of any age can rebuild strength, improve balance, and maintain independence.
Guides & resources
Exercise guides & programmes
Each guide includes step-by-step instructions, safety notes, and the daily living outcomes each exercise supports.
Balance Exercises for Seniors
A safe, evidence-based home routine using Otago Exercise Program principles. Each exercise maps to a daily activity: standing safely in the shower, walking on uneven sidewalks, getting up from a low chair.
Strength Training for Seniors: Build Muscle After 65
IADL-mapped strength exercises: carry groceries, get up from the toilet, lift a pot off the stove. Beginner to advanced progressions.
5 Exercises That Help You Keep Cooking for Yourself
Standing endurance for meal prep, grip strength for opening jars, balance for reaching into cupboards, arm strength for lifting pots.
Chair Exercises: A Complete Seated Workout
High-volume, accessible exercises for seniors who can't stand for long periods. Includes progression from seated to standing-assisted.
How to Get Stronger After 75
Yes, research shows adults over 75 can significantly increase muscle strength with consistent, appropriate exercise. It's never too late.
Exercises After Hip Replacement: Week-by-Week Guide
Elderly-specific recovery timeline with realistic expectations for 70+. Slower progression, comorbidity awareness, aquatherapy alternatives.
Why it works
Why IADL-mapped exercises matter
Most exercise programs measure success by reps and sets. Ours measures success by what you can do. Every exercise maps to an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL):
Standing calf raises
→ Helps you: Stand long enough to cook a meal
Seated row with resistance band
→ Helps you: Open a jar or pull a door
Tandem stance holds
→ Helps you: Walk safely on uneven sidewalks
Sit-to-stand repetitions
→ Helps you: Get up from the toilet independently
Overhead reach with light weight
→ Helps you: Reach into kitchen cupboards
Single-leg balance holds
→ Helps you: Step into and out of the shower
Related programmes
Explore what connects
FAQ
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Most seniors benefit from 3-5 sessions per week, combining balance, strength, and flexibility exercises. An RST will design a frequency that matches your current fitness level and goals, starting gently and progressing as you get stronger.
Yes, exercise is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis. The key is choosing the right type: low-impact exercises, aquatherapy in warm water, and gentle range-of-motion movements reduce pain while improving function. An RST ensures every exercise is safe for your specific conditions.
Absolutely. Research consistently shows that seniors, even those in their 80s and 90s, can increase muscle strength significantly with appropriate resistance training. Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) is slowed and even reversed with consistent exercise.
Every exercise in our programs maps to a specific daily living outcome. We don't just build strength, we preserve your ability to cook, shop, walk safely, and live independently. Programs are delivered in your home by a trained RST, designed for your specific needs, and adjusted as you progress.
Most exercises require minimal or no equipment. Your RST may recommend a few basic items (resistance bands, a stable chair, light hand weights), but many effective exercises use only body weight and items already in your home.
Start your exercise programme
An Arcadia Rehab therapist will design a programme around the daily activities you want to keep doing.