Mobility Problems

Mobility Problems

Mobility is freedom. Each step is a declaration of independence. Each time you stand, you become a statue of liberty.

“Without mobility, your quality of life is greatly diminished,” says Sandy O’Brien-Cousins, Ed.D., professor of exercise gerontology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Stiffness in your joints doesn’t necessarily stop you in your tracks. But it definitely takes more energy to do things; eventually, you will have trouble getting around and may lose your independence.

“We’re taught that it is okay to take it easy when you get older,” says Wayne Phillips, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Arizona State University in Tempe. “It’s considered the reward for working hard throughout your life. But taking it easy after age 60 isn’t a reward. It turns out to be a penalty. It causes much of the loss of mobility that we attribute to aging. You can reduce your risk of these problems if you just stay active. It truly is a matter of move-it-or-lose-it.” Staying active helps you maintain all of the components—your muscles, bones, flexibility, and balance—that you need to remain mobile, he says.

“Studies have shown that people well into their nineties can improve their mobility. Some of these people were using walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. But when they added strength training and other activities to their daily lives, they were able to rehabilitate themselves and set these assistive devices aside,” says Bryant Stamford, Ph.D., director of the health-promotion and wellness center at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Try This First

Be active. Look for ways that you can use more energy and become more active in your life, either by doing things a little faster or a little longer than normal, Dr. Phillips says. “You’ll be doing your body a world of good.”

For example, if you want to do things faster than normal and it usually takes you 20 minutes to vacuum your house or rake up leaves in your yard, try doing it in 15 minutes, he says.

If you want to use more energy by taking longer than normal to do things, look for ways in which you can break a single task into many. Instead of piling folded clothing on the stairs and letting it sit there until you can carry them up in one trip, take each piece up the stairs as you finish folding it. When you’re putting away groceries after shopping, put each item on the table, then move each one to a counter, and finally put it where it belongs. If you garden, kneel down and stand up each time you dig up a weed. Painting the house? Go up and down the ladder more times than necessary.

Other Wise Ways

Be self-reliant. If you have difficulty doing a task, you should be doing it more, not less. So if a friend or relative offers to assist you in getting around, politely refuse, Dr. Stamford suggests.

“Too many people want to rescue older people from difficult situations. If a grandchild sees you struggling with something, she might say, ‘Don’t worry about carrying those groceries from the car, Grandma. I’ll do it for you.’ Don’t let her do that to you. The only way you’re going to get better at lifting and carrying things is to do it,” Dr. Stamford says. “If you let others do too many things for you, you’ll get weaker. As you get weaker, more things will be a challenge for you.”

Take a hike. Walking is moving at its finest, according to Dr. Stamford. It works out all of your muscles and strengthens bones. The more you can do it, the better, he says. Even if you can only walk two to three minutes a day, you’ll be moving in the right direction.

Try the bookworm workout. Get in the habit of carrying a box of books from room to room. It will help build the muscle strength you need to stay mobile, Dr. Stamford recommends. Put enough books in the box so that it weighs about as much as a sack of groceries. Every time you leave a room, lift the box from the bottom with two hands, making sure to keep your back straight. Hold the box close at chest level, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle.

Get out of that chair. Here’s a mobility exercise that requires a firm chair with sturdy armrests. Have a seat. Grasp the armrests and push off with your arms and legs, rising to a standing position. Then slowly lower yourself to a sitting position. Do this exercise at least twice each time you sit down, Dr. Stamford suggests.

Hit the floor. Lie with your back flat on the floor and try to get up any way you can. You’ll work out virtually every muscle in your body, Dr. Stamford says. Do that three or four times a day.

“Most people turn over on their stomachs and do a pushup. It’s a great exercise. You’re using your hands and knees. You have to balance yourself,” he says. “It’s really one of my favorites.”

Pump some creamed corn. Lift everyday household objects. You’ll strengthen your upper body and promote mobility, Dr. Stamford says. Start with an object that you can comfortably lift 10 times, like an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter. Add one lift each day until you reach 25. Then try a slightly higher weight at 10 repetitions and repeat the cycle.

Relax and lengthen your muscles. Stretching can improve your flexibility and make getting around easier, Dr. O’Brien-Cousins says. Try doing the following stretches twice a day, she suggests. Hold each stretch for 15 to 20 seconds. These exercises are adapted from her book Exercise, Aging, and Health: Overcoming Barriers to an Active Old Age, which she co-authored with Art C. Burgess, Ph.D., former director of the campus fitness and lifestyle programs at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.