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Do you have problems with mobility? If you do, you’re in good company.
According to the United States Census Bureau, almost 40% of seniors and older adults aged 65 and up had a disability, and two-thirds of this group have difficulty with walking or climbing. The rate of disability rises dramatically during the golden years, with those over the age of 85 making up the vast majority of disabled people in the senior age group.1
Disabilities that lead to mobility issues can make it very tough to live independently. Keeping a good range of motion and working on fine motor skills can improve your ability to manage day-to-day tasks. And better mobility can actually lead to a longer life.
A study from the European Society of Cardiology tracked 2,000 people for 10 years. The participants were between the ages of 51 and 80 when the study began. These individuals took part in a test that required them to sit on the floor from a standing position and then get back up. They couldn’t use their hands, knees, or arms to help them with the task.2 This somewhat difficult test is known as the “sitting-rising test.”
Those who were unable to pass the test were found to be five to six times more likely to die a premature death than those who were able to successfully complete the test. This suggests that those who have better mobility and range of movement will not only have a better quality of life, but can actually have more golden years to enjoy.
There are many ways for seniors and elderly adults to improve mobility. Every little bit helps in the long run! Here are some stretches, exercises, and tips to keep you as flexible as possible.
1. Have a Morning Stretch
Your body has been at rest all night. Your muscles relaxed as you slept. Your circulation slowed down a little. Now that you’re waking up, it’s time to ease your body into the day. Slowly stretching well wakes you up, gets your muscles moving, and can even help lower the odds of physical injury.
Here’s a good routine to try:
Slowly sit up in bed. Keeping your back straight, take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then exhale. During the next breath, stretch your arms out in front of you. Stretch until you begin to feel a pleasant sensation in your arms, shoulders, and back.
Slowly move your arms out toward your sides. Gently bend at the waist, from one side to another, stretching the muscles up and down the side of your body. Then slowly lift your arms above your head, reaching for the sky.
2. Pay Attention to Your Spine
Back pain can easily lead to a vicious cycle. The pain makes you less likely to want to move (and who could blame you). But the less you move, the tighter the muscles in your back can become. This leads to even more pain and further difficulty with movement. Eventually, you will have a limited range of motion and your back will always hurt.
To prevent this, remember to gently stretch your lower back every day, especially in the morning, when you are naturally feeling some stiffness from sleeping the night before. Try this one for the best possible stretch around your spine:
· Sit in an upright position with your feet on the floor.
· Slowly twist your upper body to rotate your shoulders toward the left side of your body. Use the chair or the leg for support as you twist.
· Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds.
· Return to the starting position and take a deep breath.
· Repeat the motion on the right side. Do the full stretching exercise at least three times.
· Push your range of motion just a little bit more each time.
Any time you are trying out a new exercise, it pays to stay safe. You can do that with an alert for elderly adults. Medical alert technology at your fingertips means that if you experience a medical emergency or other problem at any time of the day or night, you can get the help you need right away.
3. Stand on One Leg
This is a pretty tough one for beginners, but it can work wonders for long-term mobility.
Hold on to a sturdy chair for safety. Balance yourself with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Slowly raise one foot until you are standing only on one leg. Try to hold the position for 15 seconds. Lower your foot and take a few breaths, then do it again. Try to do it for longer this time. Ultimately, the goal is to stand on one foot for 60 seconds each time.
This exercise doesn’t just work the muscles of the foot and leg, but also helps strengthen your core and most of all, works on improving your balance. That can improve mobility and reduce the risk of falls.
Expect to lose your balance often when you begin doing this, which is why you will need a chair right next to you to hold onto. Be prepared if you start to wobble. And of course, any exercise or stretching routine can benefit from a button alert at your fingertips.
4. Touch Your Toes
You might think you can do this, but when’s the last time you tried? You might be surprised at just how quickly you can lose the ability to easily touch your toes. Fortunately, you can probably regain the ability to touch your toes in just a few simple stretches over the span of a few weeks.
Here’s how to regain the mobility you need:
· Start with one leg elevated, your heel pressed onto a low chair or step. Lean forward over your thigh, keeping your back straight, stretching toward your foot. Do this three times, then switch legs to do it again.
· After a few days of mastering that one, work on the muscles in your back. Start by standing with your legs straight. Keep your back as straight as you can while you bend at the waist. You are trying to create a 90-degree angle with your body. Do this for three sets of 10 bends each time.
· Each day you do this, spread your feet out a little wider as you do the exercises. This can help with your balance.
· Finally, put them all together into standing firmly on the floor while you slowly stretch your back, lower your arms, and press your fingertips toward your toes. You’ll get a little closer each day.
Once you can touch your toes, make a point of doing it every few days to stay flexible.
5. Build Upper Arm Strength
Remember when you were a kid on the playground, swinging on the monkey bars? Back then you could likely swing from one rung to another without a care in the world. Today, however, your arms might wage a mighty protest if you were to even think about pulling up on the monkey bars.
But pulling your body weight up is an excellent way to build upper body strength, stretch the muscles throughout the body, and help improve your range of motion.
Doing this is quite simple-- you can invest in a pull-up bar and have a professional install it in your home. At first, hanging from the bar might feel impossible. That’s why you should set a goal of pulling up for only a few seconds at first. Over time, you can increase that to five seconds.
Though that sounds really hard to do (and it is), building strength takes time. A few seconds of “hang time” during your daily exercise routine can eventually lead to several seconds, and suddenly you’re feeling much stronger than you did when you started.
6. Constantly Work on Your Range of Motion
If you’re like most people, you had no idea your range of motion had become limited. That’s because we tend to get comfortable in our daily routines and focus on doing our usual things, but not necessarily on stepping outside of our comfort zones.
According to a study in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, seniors who are sedentary can expect to see up to a 40% decrease in their mobility, and muscle mass can also decline by as much as 40%.3
This can lead not only to lower levels of strength but also to a modified gait, which contributes to your risk of falls. Improving your range of motion can contribute to staying steady on your feet.
Make note of your range of motion as you begin these exercises. For example, when you are sitting down and stretching from side to side, note how far you can go without pain. A week later, are you moving a little bit further than you did at the start?
Most mobility issues tend to happen due to injury or simple wear-and-tear on one part of the body. For instance, if your knee is giving you trouble, you are unlikely to exercise much at all while it heals – but what if it’s never the same? Then you start to change your posture and gait to compensate and alleviate the pain.
To avoid this cascade, work on your range of motion at all times, taking every opportunity you have to stretch. From reaching for a can on the top shelf at the grocery store to stretching like a cat first thing in the morning, anything you can do to improve range of motion will keep you healthier.
Alert1 can be your stalwart companion on that journey. An emergency medical alarm at your fingertips can allow you the freedom to exercise and stretch every muscle without worry. And if you choose a model with fall detection, that’s even more protection. Now is the time to work on mobility and good health, and Alert1 is there to help!
