Physical Therapy For Ageing Adults ; Promoting Mobilty And Independence.

As you grow old, pain becomes your friend right ? 

If that’s you, you need to stop and realise that 50 isnt old. We Indians have this mentality of feeling old before actually getting old. 

As we are ageing our body is changing,, we are losing our muscle mass by each passing year yes the age is increasing but that doesn’t make you old rather your mindset can make you old. 

Exercising is important for almost every individual if you want to improve  your quality of life. 

In physical therapy our goal is to promote healthy lifestyle for all age groups but it becomes more important for you once you cross 50.  As we grow old, we start losing cells and the regeneration process gets slower. 

So in order to keep your body functioning and stay pain free you have to start mobility in early years of your life so it becomes a routine. 

Why mobility is important: 

1. For better metabolic health. 
2. For better muscle health 
3. It improves psychosocial health  
4. It reduces the chances of arthritic conditions. 
5. It slows down the process of degeneration 
6. It improves your health span. 

What kind of mobility exercises will help? 

There are plenty of options these days. Yoga, gym could be one of it. 

But is this helpful for elderly people ? 

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Where yoga can be great for maintaining flexibility it may not be suitable for elders with stability issues. 

Similarly, gym can be great for strength training but the intensity of exercises may cause some pain and irritation. So what should be the ideal scenario? 

A clinician assess what your body needs and prescribe exercises fulfilling the demands of your body.  You can book your appointment for assessment at ( add clinic website here) 

There are some general mobility exercises for elderly people, which will be beneficial to improve joint ROM and general fitness. 

Exercises for upper body, shoulder and mid back mobility : 

1. open book stretch 
2. Neck isometrics  
3. Shoulder mobility- shoulder rolls 
4. Arm circles 
5. Shoulder shrugs 
6. Doorway stretches  
7. Wrist mobility 

Exercises for core activation and to maintain mobility 

1. Dead bug with hold – Lie on back and make half squat position. 
2. Bird and dog– Get on all fours, extend one arm in front and one leg behind you.hold this for 10 se, come back to normal position. 
3. Cat and camel– get on all fours, arch your back inwards and outwards, repeat it for 110 times. 

Exercises for lower body 

1. Bridging – lie on back with knees bent, legs apart, raise your hip up and down. 
2. Single leg bridging -Lift one leg off the ground while performing the bridge 
3. Clamshell-lie on your sides, knees and hips bent. Raise your top knee up and down. 
4. Single leg raise- lie on your back, keep one leg bent and another straight, push your straight knee to the ground and lift it up in the air hold for 10 sec, repeat 3-4 times. 
5. Hams curls– lie down on your back,  bend your knee towards your buttocks, do it with both your legs alternatively. 
6. Ankle mobility– move your ankle in circles, up and down, inwards and outwards.  

Other than mobility and strength exercises, balance and proprioception exercises are the most important set of exercises. 

1. Single leg balance eye open / eye closed 
2. Walk on uneven surfaces 
3. Retro walking  
4. Zigzag walking 
5. Obstacle walk 

In general, these exercise can help and maintain your balance, mobility and strength but if generalised exercises don’t help you or you are having physical restrictions then you should always take opinion from any registered clinician.