How to play the fitness ball for the elderly

Hold the end of the 20-30cm long connecting rope, swing your arms with your shoulders and elbows as the force point, and drive the two elastic balls to swing regularly. As long as the movements are stretched without holding your breath, and your shoulders and back feel relaxed after exercise, you are doing it right. There is no need to pursue complicated fancy movements.

In the small community square in the evening, the shadows of the trees have not completely faded, and the music of square dancing floats over. The old people playing slingball stand in half a row. The ball draws a soft arc in the air, and occasionally touches each other to make a gentle "dong dong" sound, which is particularly interesting. Aunt Zhang, who lives downstairs in my house, is considered a "hardcore player" in this area. She has been playing for almost three years. At first, she had severe frozen shoulder that made it difficult to lift her arms to put on a sweater. Now she can carry twenty kilograms of rice up to the third floor without gasping for breath. She often said that many old people who have just joined the industry always worry about whether their movements are standard. In fact, it is completely unnecessary. This thing is originally a lightweight fitness tool, and the key is to make it comfortable and comfortable.

Nowadays, the old people who play this game are basically divided into two groups. There is no one who is right or wrong. It all depends on their own situation. One is the "Static Standing School", where you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your lower body completely motionless, and you only rely on your shoulders and elbows to swing the ball. You either make circles from left to right alternately, or swing forward and back at a constant speed. This is basically chosen by elderly people with poor balance and old injuries to their legs and feet. Uncle Li, who had a stroke in our community before, did this for twenty minutes every day. He went for a review last month and the doctor said that the muscle tone of his affected arm has improved a lot. The other school is the "dynamic coordination school". When swinging the ball, they will step according to the rhythm. If the ball is thrown to the left, the left leg will be used, and if the ball is thrown to the right, the right leg will be used. If the ball is in good shape, it will also add a light turn and half squat, which is equivalent to moving the waist and legs. However, in this case, you have to pay special attention to your feet and don't get tripped by the rope. The two groups had argued before. The static group said that the dynamic ones were distracted and easy to fall, while the dynamic group said that the static ones were not fully practiced. In fact, there is no difference. The one that suits you is the best.

Oh, by the way, old people who are just getting started should not choose heavy balls as soon as they start. Many people think that heavy balls are used to train strength. In fact, a soft sponge ball of about 100 grams is enough to get started. I have seen an aunt before who bought a half-pound medicine ball just after playing. After throwing it vigorously for three days, her arms hurt so much that she couldn't lift them, so she took a rest for half a month. The length of the rope must also be adjusted appropriately. Hold the tail of the rope and stand so that the ball naturally hangs down to two or three centimeters above the ankle. If it is too long, it will easily rub on the ground and get dusty, and may even be thrown to the person next to you. If it is too short, you will not be able to swing your arms and your shoulders and neck cannot move, and it will be a waste of time.

Don't pursue loud swings either. Many old people competed when they first started playing. When they heard the "pop-pop" sound of someone else's ball swinging through the air, they followed suit and swung their arms violently. The sound was actually caused by the ball sucking air out at high speed. Also, try to find an open place to play, at least two meters away from the crowd. There was an old man in our community who didn't pay attention when he was throwing the ball. The ball hit the arm of a kid who ran by. He lost hundreds of dollars and made an unpleasant scene. It was completely unnecessary.

I sometimes play along for a while in the morning after get off work. I don’t need to remember any moves. I just follow the rhythm of square dance music. For slow songs, I dance slowly, and for fast songs, I dance a little faster. After fifteen minutes of dancing, my shoulders and neck, which have been stiff in front of the computer for a day, are relaxed. It is more comfortable than going to a massage parlor. In fact, to put it bluntly, the ball swing is originally designed as a light fitness tool for the elderly. There is no absolutely correct way to play. The best way to play is if you are comfortable playing, not tired after playing, and can achieve the purpose of moving your body. There is really no need to set any unified standards, right?