As we age, most of us become less mobile than we used to be. This can make it difficult to get anywhere and carry out everyday activities, like cleaning fiber glass white tub, going to the store or taking a leisurely stroll. Unfortunately, some mobility issues can be painful, while others can increase your risk of taking a fall, which could lead to you becoming seriously injured. While many mobility problems can be prevented, sometimes genetics will take over. However, managing pain and maintaining good health can help. If you are starting to feel less mobile, or you care for a senior who is struggling with their motion, then you should look for ways to boost mobility, in order to improve your quality of life, and health and safety. You shouldn’t rush into any solutions. Time and patience are key for the best results. For some inspiration, here are six ways seniors can boost mobility.
A Walking Aid
Finding the right walking aid that provides an adequate level of support in order to move around safely is essential to boosting mobility. Walking aids are good because they encourage an older adult to use their muscles, which will keep them strong. Alternatively, for long trips, you could consider a mobility scooter. These are very easy to use and will significantly boost the distances you can travel.
Improve Balance
Some seniors struggle to keep their balance. If this is the case in your situation, then you should never walk anywhere without a walking aid. You can do exercises and routines to help and improve balance. However, these should only ever be carried out in a safe location with supervision. A physical therapist may be able to offer some advice, but balance training exercises are straight forward and easy to find.
Exercise Your Legs and Core
Your legs and your core are responsible for enabling you to walk around and bend down to pick something up. When these muscles become weak, it can be hard to maintain balance and recovery from falling over will be much harder. Fortunately, there are many low-impact exercises that can strengthen the legs and core. Before starting any workout routine, an older adult should consult their doctor for advice.
A Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is essential for keeping your insides and outsides in good condition. It is also key to maintaining a healthy weight, which helps to reduce the risk of many health problems developing. When you are a good weight, less pressure is put on your joints, making it easier and less painful to walk. The right diet can take care of your joints and reduce inflammation, which decreases joint pain.
Maintain Healthy Joints
Joint pain can be one of the leading causes of decreased mobility in older adults. As mentioned previously, diet and lifestyle can play a major part in caring for your joints, but sometimes genetics takes over. To provide your joints with extra support, you should consider taking supplements. There are many supplements that reduce joint pain and deterioration and can aid with recovery to an extent.
Home Adjustments
The majority of accidents occur in the home. It just takes one nasty fall to leave a senior immobile for months, which can have a negative effect on their future mobility. To adjust your home, you can start by tidying the floor, repositioning furniture and keeping wires tidy and out of walkways. Some seniors will benefit from installing handrails along stairways and in the bathrooms for extra support.
If necessary, moving to a larger property, retirement property, ground floor apartment, or bungalow may be the better solution if the home structure is hard to navigate. Consider checking out Tellico Lake homes for sale and moving to a new area with closer amenities, or moving to a home more suitable for your loved one’s needs, such as one that has a large shower instead of a bath. In addition, this could be an opportunity to move closer to members of the family who would be able to visit and help out.
Aging can be difficult for some and many of us worry about losing our independence in our old age. Mobility plays a vital part in self-reliance, so doing what you can to maintain it and boost it will help you to enjoy life as a senior to the fullest.
This post has been sponsored by Evolution Visions
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