Age-related changes in muscles, joints, bones, and the central nervous system can lead to mobility issues that increase the risk of falls in older adults. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that falls are the leading cause of injuries for adults ages 65+ nationwide and prompt three million visits to the emergency room each year.
Recognizing and fighting changes in stability, flexibility, and coordination is crucial for healthy aging and helps prevent falls.
Tuning into your body, acting on changes, and consulting your doctor is key. Tackling these challenges can physically and mentally drain you. Practicing mindfulness techniques and journaling can also have a positive impact on your overall well-being.
Learn how to recognize age-related mobility warning signs and navigate challenges in this guide.
Recognizing Age-Related Mobility Warning Signs
Maintaining mobility is crucial for maintaining independence and performing daily activities safely. Your muscles can lose strength, endurance, and flexibility as you age, which affects your stability, balance, and coordination and increases your fall risk.
Being aware of physical changes can help you work through challenges as they arise. These warning signs may indicate you’re experiencing age-related mobility issues:
- Struggling to climb stairs
- Difficulty getting up from or sitting down in a chair
- Walking slower than usual
- Decreasing physical activities due to joint pain, fear of injuries, reduced flexibility, weakness, or fatigue
- Chronic health problems like arthritis and cardiovascular disease affect your stamina
- Dizziness and/or balance challenges
- Vision or hearing trouble that impairs movement and mobility
Geriatrician Dr. Suzanne Salamon, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, recommends doing the Get Up and Go Test to assess your mobility.
Pay attention to how long it takes to do the test and whether you stay steady. If you’re worried about safety, ask a friend or family member to watch you.
- Stand up from sitting in a chair
- Walk 10 feet
- Turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down
Also, consider if you struggle to climb steps or walk one-quarter of a mile. This typically reveals mobility issues.
Maintain or Improve Mobility with These Exercises
If you are struggling or notice a decline, exercising regularly helps improve strength, stamina, flexibility, and balance. It also helps maintain or increase mobility and is good for your overall health.
Lora Stutzman, a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network, recommends the following with supervision, if necessary:
Sit-to-Stand Exercise
This simple workout increases leg strength and improves balance:
- Place a sturdy chair that doesn’t slide or roll in front of a table or countertop. Use the surface for support if needed while standing.
- Sit comfortably on the edge of the seat with your feet flat on the floor.
- Lean forward so your chest is over your toes, and shift your body weight forward.
- Tighten your glutes and slowly rise to a stable standing position.
- Slowly sit down to return to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times.
If you’re able, the goal is to stand without using your hands.
Do 10 reps twice a day. Discontinue and consult your physician or physical therapist if you feel pain in your knees, back, or hips.
Balance Exercises
Do these balance exercises while standing in a corner or in front of a table to steady yourself if you start losing balance.
- Feet apart – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, eyes open. Hold your position for 10 seconds to start, eventually increasing to 30 seconds.
- Feet together – This time, stand with your feet together, eyes open. Hold for 10 seconds and gradually increase to 30 seconds.
- One foot – Stand on one foot, eyes open. Hold for 10 seconds and slowly increase to 30 seconds. Switch to your other foot.
- Eyes closed – If you do the first three exercises safely with little support, try each one again with your eyes closed.
Doing weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, if you’re able, strengthens bones. Tai Chi or yoga is also good for strength, balance, and flexibility.
For strength training, use resistance bands, perform chair squats, and do wall push-ups. Swimming and aquatic exercise are fantastic workouts that don’t tax joints.
How Journaling or Mindfulness Techniques Help
Many older adults struggle emotionally and mentally with mobility decline or other age-related health concerns. Journaling and other mindfulness techniques can help reduce stress and boost your mood.
Specifically, gratitude journaling has been shown to increase feelings of well-being and calm and decrease stress. Writing down what you’re thankful for each day also helps improve focus and memory.
Plus, research shows mindfulness training “helped reduce stress and impairment associated with physical health problems, including pain, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic conditions” in participants.
Mindfulness practices include:
- Deep breathing
- Positive visualization
- Mindful movement like Tai Chi, yoga, and chair exercises
- Mindful body scan in which you focus on and feel each part of your body from your feet to your head
Identifying mobility warning signs, consulting your doctor, and engaging in exercises to build strength, improve balance, and boost flexibility can help enhance mobility. Additionally, journaling and practicing mindfulness techniques can have a profoundly positive impact on your overall health and well-being.
