Strong legs are important for an individual’s mobility and independence. It’s important when it comes to many activities, such as walking, running and moving throughout the day. But unfortunately, countless factors cause weak leg muscles in seniors, which makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities. In addition, as the body ages, a person begins a lifelong decline in muscle mass and bone density. Thus, the muscles become thinner and weaker, which contributes to falls and fractures. 

Other factors can also play a significant role in causing leg weakness in your senior loved ones. Knowing these factors can give you a better idea of how to manage the condition as a family caregiver.

8 Main Causes of Sudden Leg Weakness in Seniors

1. Nutritional Deficiencies

Poor dietary intake can result in weak leg muscles. For example, an older person with a poor diet may not get enough calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium in their body. These nutrients are necessary to maintain healthy bones and muscles. Other nutrient deficiencies include vitamins K and E, which are crucial for blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, heart rhythm management, bone strength, immune system function and more.

2. Slipped Disc

A slipped disc is a condition that occurs when the inner part of the spinal cord rubs against the backbone. It causes intense pain over the outer side of the thigh. As a result, the patient will have difficulty walking, sitting, standing, or sitting down.

3. Arthritis

It is a complicated disease that can cause many conditions, including arthritis in your senior’s legs; it can be an inflammatory or degenerative disease that causes inflammation throughout muscles tissue and other arteries. If the arthritis is severe, it can cause your senior to walk with a limp and may result in pain if they become irritated.

4. Lack of Quality Sleep

Lack of quality sleep can also cause weakness in leg muscles. In addition, the lack of quality sleep may slow the production of growth hormone, which dramatically declines after age 50. As a result, muscles become weaker, and you’ll start to see symptoms such as trembling hands, stiffness and weakness throughout the body.

5. Pinched Nerve

Sciatica is a condition caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back. As a result, leg muscles will become weak and sore. The pain can range from mild to severe, causing them to walk with a limp and use their hands.

6. Stroke

Stroke is a condition that occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, affecting the areas of the brain controlling movement. It leads to muscle weakness throughout the body and can result in paralysis. In addition, the affected limbs will appear limp, and your loved one may not be able to move them properly.

7. Poor Circulation

Poor circulation often causes leg weakness. This condition is caused by plaque build-up in the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the muscles and tissues of the body. The build-up causes blood to move slower, thus resulting in muscle fatigue and weakness.

8. Sedentary Lifestyle

If your senior loved one is very inactive and spends most of their day sitting down at a computer or watching television, their legs would become weak. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to weakening muscles in the leg due to lack of exercise. Your senior may require a wheelchair if their leg muscles continue to weaken.

3 Ways to Help Seniors Prevent and Manage Sudden Leg Weakness

1. Exercise

It’s normal for many people to lose muscle mass as they become older, but a sedentary lifestyle can speed up that decline. Encouraging your senior loved one to do regular exercises can boost balance and reduce the risk of suffering fall and fractures.

While you need to consider mobility limitations and consult a doctor about exercises that best fit your senior loved ones, the good thing is finding great exercises for weak legs in older adults is not that difficult. There are simple, effective, and yet not risky leg exercises you can perform with your loved ones. These simple exercises include:

• Ankle Circles – This exercise is a great way to strengthen the ankle and leg muscles. Start this exercise by placing your feet on a low stool at a 45-degree angle to help your senior loved one pull their legs up toward their body. You can then have your senior roll from the top of their heels to the tips of their toes, concentrating on just one foot at a time for ten repetitions. It is one of the most effective exercises for strengthening ankle, calf and thigh muscles essential for good walking and standing.
• Hip Marching – This simple exercise targets seniors’ thighs and hip flexors, making them walk faster and farther. It also helps them pick their feet up so they don’t trip over things. In this exercise, have your loved one use two to five-pound ankle weights for an additional challenge. First, have her sit up straight in a chair with her feet flat on the floor, then tell her to inhale as she slowly lifts her left knee into the air as high as she can. Next, exhale as she gently lowers back down to the ground. Repeat routine ten times, then do the same with the right knee.
• Calf Raises – Strengthening your senior loved one’s calves is essential for balance and walking. Start by asking your loved one to stand behind a chair, holding it to its back to attain balance. Keep your loved one back straight, then ask to inhale as she gently raises to her tip-toes as is comfortable for her. Tell her not to move the rest of her body. Then ask her to exhale as she lowers gently back down to her feet flat on the floor. Repeat it ten times

2. Lifestyle Change

Of course, engaging in exercises is not enough to manage weak legs. Instead, your senior loved one should try to make healthy lifestyle choices to help prevent leg weakness. Some of these include:

• Eat Healthy – Senior’s diet should focus on whole grains, vegetables, plenty of fruits and herbs. Foods rich in fiber are also helpful in preventing constipation, which can further thin the colon wall, making it more susceptible to damage from taking too little exercise over time.
• Get Enough Sleep – Your senior loved one should get enough sleep for good brain functioning and heart health. Getting enough sleep can help prevent leg weakness and reduce the risk of falls.
• Avoid Smoking – While smoking does not cause your loved one to lose muscle mass directly, it can worsen their condition by inducing breathing problems leading to the weakening of the lungs and legs.
• Protect the Legs – Wearing soft-soled footwear is important to help protect your senior loved one’s legs from injury. In addition, shoes that are made with gel material are more impact resistant and comfortable.

3. Consult a Doctor

If you notice any sudden weakness in their legs or feet, don’t wait for it to get worse. Instead, help your aging loved ones prepare for a doctor’s visit right away so doctors can monitor any further changes in your senior loved one’s health. And determine what exercise program is most appropriate to manage their condition.

Sudden leg weakness is a condition that can strike an otherwise healthy person. It can happen to seniors and young people, and it could be caused by a number of conditions, including those listed above. Your loved one must get help as soon as possible if they suffer from this condition, as there are exercises and other treatments available to help them manage the condition and prevent it from getting worse. There are also ways you can help them prevent leg weakness.