Positive Steps for Senior Citizens

How proper exercise and physical therapy can help you maintain an independent lifestyle.

How long do you want to live independently? Most senior citizens aim to live an active, long and fulfilling life while continuing to live at home rather than in a nursing home.

Many of us have heard the term margin. Let’s look at a new margin, or boundary, that you may have not looked at before. This is the amount of space between where you are now physically and the line of requiring assistance with your daily living activities. Do you have room to get sick or injured and still be able to live independently? The more physically fit you are, the more likely you will be able to maintain your independence even if you get sick or injured.

What are some things that you can do to increase your margin of independence? You must look at your overall health that includes your nutrition level, your fitness or physical capacity, and your management of any ongoing medical conditions, etc. Let’s look at your physical capacity. Are you able to stand up from the chair or sofa without pushing up with your arms and, if so, how many times can you do it in 30 seconds? How many times can you lift/curl a weight of 5 pounds for women or 8 pounds for men? Are you able to climb a flight of stairs without getting out of breath? Are you able to stand and balance on one leg for 30 or even 10 seconds? How far can you walk in 6 minutes? A study was printed in the Journal of Aging and Physical Fitness that provides some baselines on some of these.

How active are you? Are you getting the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity each day? Remember this moderate activity can be anything that increases your heart rate to at least 60% of your maximum heart rate (220 - your age). This might include mopping the floor, doing yard work, going for a brisk walk or climbing stairs. Also, these 30 minutes can be split up into smaller segments during the day (i.e. 10 minutes of mopping, 15 minutes of a brisk walk, and 5 minutes climbing up and down the stairs. Of course, this exercise could also be done by going to the gym and riding a bike or walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes straight.

If you are doing well in these areas of physical fitness, you are on the right path. If you are not, what is holding you back? Do you have pain or some other medical issue that is limiting your activity? If so then you should talk to your doctor and/or your physical therapist to help you get started on a safe path to overcome these issues. If not, then what is keeping you from reaching your highest potential for a healthy and active lifestyle? Just get started by adding some increased activity, such as a daily walk (brisk enough to perspire a little and to get your heart rate up), or maybe standing up from a chair 10 to 20 or more times in a row.

The goal here is to get you physically fit enough that you have some margin in your life to allow for the unexpected illness or injury or even the average 15% reduction in strength that is seen in each decade of life. By following through with an exercise plan, you can maintain your independence for a longer period of time. If you would like a more in-depth look into where you stand physically, I would suggest you consult with your local physical therapist. This can greatly increase your chance of living strong and active for years to come.

By Brad Freemyer, PT