Maintaining mobility in retirement
If you don’t move it, you’ll lose it
One of the myths people think about retiring is that they are going to relax. However, while they won’t be working in a full time job, it can be a fulltime job to maintain mobility which includes strength, flexibility and balance ability. Never was a truer thing said in the mature years than “If you don’t use it, you lose it!” . “Using it” is key to maintaining functional mobility. The less you do, the less you will be able to do.
Make time to exercise
In order to combat the normal ageing of the muscles with loss of strength, flexibility and balance, it is important to make time to maintain fitness levels daily. I would always recommend people schedule their day around their exercise programme rather than trying to squeeze it in somewhere during the day because inevitably the day will run away with you and you won’t have exercised yet again! Your exercise programme can be a once a day workout or it may be for shorter durations a few times during the day. I would always recommend exercises be done routinely as we are creatures of habit. If we get into the habit of doing them at the same time each day we are more inclined to do them. E.g. for a ten minute period before or after each meal or once a day after breakfast in the morning.
Prevention is always better than cure
By making the home exercise programme the foundation of your schedule in retirement, you are less likely to end up having to make medical appointments the foundation of your schedule. Your Chartered Physiotherapist will instruct you in a variety of exercises including cardiovascular (walking, swimming etc),balance, strength, flexibility and endurance. They will very often be able to implement these exercises into your activities of daily living .e.g. gardening or cleaning the house.
Don’t give up!
If there is a movement or a task that is challenging, don’t ever give into it with a resigning approach like “Ah sure at my age I should not expect to be able to do it anyway” or “Old age is setting in so I won’t be able to do this any longer” or “Old age is limiting me”. Let your Chartered Physiotherapist assess you in order to discern the source of the problem and help resolve it. Sometimes you might need hands-on physiotherapy, a home exercise programme or simply advice in order to overcome the difficulty and get back to full mobility.
If you have any questions about the above, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can guide you appropriately. You deserve the optimal care at this time of your life.
For any further queries contact Sheila Barrett & Associates at East Cork Physiotherapy, Balance and Acupuncture Clinic. 021-4633455
This blog is provided for information purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Seek the advice of your doctor with any queries regarding a medical condition.