How to Maintain Your Mobility As You Age

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for aging. We will all get older and, eventually, slow down quite a bit. It may be easy to get in and out of chairs, go for a jog, or even take a few laps around the pool now; but what about when you’re 70? Or 80? Or 90? What can you do to maintain your mobility as you age?

The Hard Facts​

Before we answer these questions, it’s important to note that a lot of mobility issues later in life are dependent on genetics (which you cannot change) and injuries (which you may or may not be able to prevent). There’s only so much you can do to keep your body going strong well into your golden years. Sadly, scientists have not invented a magic pill to keep our bodies young and fit.

However, it’s not all bad news. New medical advancements are being made every day that promise a brighter future for people with mobility issues. That said, you shouldn’t rely on potential scientific discoveries to save you. The truth is that you need to take control of your own health and future before it’s too late.

4 Ways to Maintain Mobility As You Age

There are many ways to maintain good physical health, but there are certain areas that you’ll need to focus on if you want to stay mobile for the long-term:

Maintain a Diet That Encourages Muscle Growth

No matter your gender or body type, you’ll need to maintain some muscles to keep moving as you get older. This doesn’t mean you need to become a bodybuilder, but you will need to eat foods that promote good muscle health. For example, vegetables (like beans or broccoli)  and lean meats (like chicken) that are high in protein should be a staple of your diet.

Encouraging muscle growth is not all about putting on muscle mass, though. It’s also about reducing fat content. If your diet is high in sugar or other empty carbohydrates, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Not only could this limit your mobility as you age, but it could also cause a myriad of other physical ailments, including heart disease.

Protect Your Knees

The human body holds most of its weight in the upper half, which means that the lower half has to do all the heavy lifting. Your hips, knees, and ankles all have to work a little bit harder than your wrists and elbows. One of the most common mobility problems among older individuals stems from weakened joints around the knees.

There are various ways to build up joint strength through diet and low-impact exercise. The most important factor is your BMI, or Body Mass Index. Maintaining a healthy weight ensures that your knees do not weaken too much as you age. If you’re overweight, you could be putting unnecessary stress on your knees and limiting your mobility in the future.

There are also new advancements in stem cell research that can promote long-term knee health. For example, stem cell knee therapy and injections have shown very positive results in patients of various ages. If you’d like to learn more, you can read real stem cell knee therapy reviews.

Finally, you should be careful to protect your knees from injury. Your knees are the primary joints needed for walking and running. If you experience a serious injury in this area, it could mean that you will have difficulty standing up, sitting down, or walking for long distances when you’re older.

Focus On Low-Impact Exercise

You don’t need to be a professional athlete to stay mobile. However, you can’t be a couch potato, either. As is true with most things in life, finding a happy medium is the best approach.

Low-impact exercise helps improve the cardiovascular system, strengthen the lungs, and maintain overall physical strength. At the same time, low-impact exercise reduces the risk of injury. If you want to exercise by playing football or basketball, it may be good for your heart (to a degree), but it could spell disaster if you experience a serious injury. Sports injuries can seriously limit your mobility as you age.

So, low-impact exercise is the best way to go, even if you’re still young and full of energy. Low-impact sports and activities include cycling, jogging, yoga, swimming, and rowing. These will help you stay fit without putting additional stress on your joints or increasing the risk of severe injuries.

Don’t Forget to Stretch

Most people do a little stretch when they wake up in the morning or after they finish a physical task (like lifting a heavy box). However, this is not enough to protect your soft tissue from injury. Stretching is an extremely important habit that you should form sooner rather than later.

The best thing about stretching is that it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. If you already plan on doing low-impact exercise, then you can add a few minutes of stretching before and after each session. This further reduces the risk of injury and keeps your muscles in top form while you work out.

It may sound easy to just stretch your muscles, but many people are unsure how to do it safely. Overstretching your muscles can cause unforeseen problems down the road as well. Fortunately, there are numerous tutorials for beginners and it’s easy to quickly learn some of the most common (and important) stretches. Here is a helpful video to get you started!

Conclusion

There’s no pill you can take to reverse the effects of aging or regain lost mobility (though advanced medical technology is always providing new and amazing results). Ultimately, maintaining your mobility into your 70s, 80s, 90s, or beyond is all about practicing positive health habits. 

There are also some procedures that can give your body a boost along the way, but you shouldn’t rely too heavily on science to save you. At the end of the day, you just need to be smart about your physical well-being and protect your bones, joints, and muscles from serious injury!