Performing mobility exercises can help senior citizens retain their balance and leg strength or regain the ability to walk after being wheelchair-bound. Even senior citizens who exercise daily by swimming or walking can benefit from warming up their muscles with mobility exercises before engaging in a more vigorous workout.
Start your exercise program sitting in a chair to keep your muscles from straining with your weight before they get warmed up. Perform 10 shoulder raises, shrugging both shoulders up towards your ears, to limber up your shoulders and back. Lift one leg at a time so that it's parallel to the floor to warm up your thigh muscles, doing 10 repetitions on each leg. Then, lift one leg and hold it straight in front of you. Holding it straight, lift your thigh off the chair 10 times to warm up your thigh muscles. Repeat with the other leg.
Stand facing a sturdy chair. Place both hands on the chair and push up to stand on your toes. Lower yourself back down so your feet are flat on the floor, then repeat the exercise for 10 repetitions. This works your calves and ankles, helping to increase your balance while exercising. Performing a modified squat can increase strength and flexibility in your legs and hips. Stand in front of a chair, then lower your body as if you're going to sit down. Before you touch the seat, tighten your abdominal muscles and stand back up. If you're new to exercising, have someone stand in front of you and hold your hands to provide stability and to allow you to balance when standing up. You can also place large books or pillows on the chair so you only have to squat a few inches.
If swimming is your preferred workout, add mobility exercises in the water before starting your laps. March in place by holding on to the side of the pool in the shallow end, lifting your knees as high as you can. Turn around so your back is against the side of the pool and hold on to a ladder pole or attached grip bar. Lift one leg up, keeping it straight, then lower it and lift the other leg. This gets the hips warmed up. The water provides resistance while increasing your body's buoyancy, helping prevent injury while you work on your mobility.
As you're working to increase your mobility, be aware of falling hazards in your area. If you're using a chair for balance, make sure it's a heavy, sturdy chair. You can also use a counter, bar-height table or tall couch. When you're ready to walk outside for exercise, choose a route that's level and free from obstructions such as low-hanging tree branches, which could cause you to lose your balance and fall. Always walk with a partner if possible so one of you can get help if the other is injured. Seniors can quickly succumb to heat-related problems such as dehydration and heat stroke, so drink plenty of water while you're exercising -- even while swimming -- and try to exercise in cooler hours of the day.