Aging is an inevitable process. As you age, the blood vessels stiffen, making your heart have to work harder to supply blood to the body. This decreases the ability for blood to reach every part of the body, especially the extremities. As a result, the elderly can have difficulty walking and will move more slowly. For many people, aging leads to partial paralysis, limping, reduced mobility, and even strokes.
Sometimes these symptoms can be life-threatening. Cerebral hemorrhages and strokes are highly prevalent in the elderly. Blockage of cerebral blood vessels is also prone to occur in those who are more sedentary.
The best way to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease is to prevent it early. One of the easiest ways to prevent stroke, vascular dementia, and even lower postprandial blood sugar, is to tiptoe.
By regularly tiptoeing, you are exercising the calf muscles, which improves blood flow to the lower extremities. This can help prevent a stroke from occurring. Controlling the muscles further out on the limbs will also stimulate the brain and regulate its function helping to prevent stroke and dementia. Another benefit to tiptoeing is it is easy to practice and you can do it almost anywhere while doing other things at the same time.
4 simple ways to tiptoe
Toe to heel
Stand upright with your feet together and place your hands on your sides. If you need to, you can use a piece of furniture to keep your balance until you get used to the exercise. Slowly lift yourself up on your toes, grip the ground with your toes, then slowly drop your weight from the toes to the front of your feet and relax your body. Then let your heels hit the ground lightly. This will trigger a gentle vibration that travels up the legs to the upper body.
After you repeat this a few times, your whole body will feel more comfortable. Pay particular attention to your breathing while exercising. Inhale while lifting yourself up, exhale slowly while bringing yourself back down. Do 30 repetitions of this movement 20 times a day at different times of the day. The persistent practice of this method will reduce the incidence of falling and increase the confidence of the elderly in walking.
Tiptoe walking
Walk on your toes for 30 to 50 steps each time and then take a little rest. Repeat a few times according to your physical condition at a speed that you are comfortable with. Proceed at a relaxed speed; there is no need to walk quickly. You can use a wall or furniture for support when first starting the exercise. You will not need to rely on external objects after you have more experience.
Sitting tiptoe
Sit with your knees and thighs horizontal to the floor and tiptoe while seated. If you wish you can put weights on your thighs to increase the workout. Do 30 to 50 repetitions of this movement each time at a speed that you feel comfortable with.
Lying tiptoe
When lying in bed, keep your legs together and straight, stretch the toes down as far as you can then straighten the soles. You can exercise both feet together or one at a time. If you feel discomfort in the calf, stop to rest. Do 20 to 30 repetitions each time at a comfortable speed. If you really do not have time to exercise, you can do this exercise while sitting before the computer or attending a meeting.
Be careful
Tiptoeing represents a form of control and strength training of the muscles furthest away from the heart. Although the method is very simple, it should be exercised step by step. Do not push yourself too hard at the beginning, otherwise, heel pain can develop. If pain occurs, rest for a few days and soak your feet in hot water. They will soon be well, and you can start again at a slower pace.
When you play chess, cards, or computer games, or stand still for a long time, you can incorporate a tiptoe exercise every hour or so, which can make the blood flow back to the lower limbs and prevent lower limb numbness.
Translated by Audrey Wang
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