6 types of exercise to improve mobility

Do you worry that you won’t move as easily as you used to?

Exercise to improve mobility, Losing mobility when we are getting older is an idea that often scares us.

Not being able to do basic things like household chores or perform simple movements that we do in our day-to-day lives… would be a major loss for someone who has been independent for many years.

Still, all is not doom and gloom, it can improve.

In this blog we will tell you about the 6 types of exercise that can be done to improve mobility and even maintain it.

Why is it important to improve mobility?

Mobility is the way we move, such as walking or the level of movement of the arms. Or just any movement we make in our day-to-day live like getting up from a chair, for example.

It is an integral part of our live and this allows us to take care of ourselves.

If you are a person with mobility problems and joint stiffness, you may find it difficult to perform basic self-care tasks, such as bathing or dressing. But this can be improved too. To maintain independence in old age, you need to maintain and improve your mobility, and the best way to do that is exercise.

There are also a few types of exercise that are low-impact exercises that can be helpful if you are already experiencing some limited movement or you are also looking to improve your range of motion.

Walking

Although this time of year may not be the best time to go for a walk, it is certainly a simple way to improve your mobility.

For people over 60, walking more is good for maintaining and improving mobility.

Did you know that just walking for an hour a week can improve mobility?

It can also be helpful to increase your lower body muscle strength, so you also have a lower risk of falling.

If after reading this you’re going to go for a walk some more, bundle up, because it is very cold outside! But after you come back from walking, your body and joints will thank you.

Pilates

Pilates is also a good way to improve your mobility and range of motion in your joints. And this sport is especially effective for older people.

Pilates focuses on dynamic movements rather than static stretching.

This style of movement encourages the body to stretch and be flexible, in addition to toning the body through repeated movements.

One of the best things about Pilates is that you can even practice it from the comfort of your own home. As long as you’re a little tech savvy and have access to YouTube, you’ll have hundreds of Pilates exercises for beginners and experts.

Swimming

Water gives you a feeling of weightlessness when you’re in it. This weightlessness means that exercising in the water doesn’t overload your joints compared to sports (like jogging, for example).

This is why we constantly see runners in our clinic with knee injuries and sore joints.

If you too have one of these injuries, you’ll know that swimming comes in handy. It helps reduce the impact on the sore spots, and you may even end up swimming once the injury is resolved.

If you suffer from pain, it may be your ideal sport. If you suffer from joint pain or stiffness, you can acquire movements you never thought possible without pain during and after the activity.

Water aerobics

Water aerobics classes may seem boring, but you can often have a lot of fun.

These classess helps you burn calories, is great for making you more flexible and improves your range of motion in your arms and legs.

As if the benefits couldn’t get any better, aqua aerobics will also greatly benefit your posture, muscle tone and even your balance.

It’s time to sign up for the next class…

Dance

This can be one of the most fun and great ways to improve your mobility.

Attending a dance class is a great way to maintain mobility, improve overall fitness and make new friends. It is also one of the best distractions.

There are many dance styles to choose from that can offer you the best opportunity to increase mobility (Jazz, Salsa, Ballroom dancing…).

Exercise classes

One class that can be useful if you want to improve your mobility is a “body pump” class.

In these classes you lift very light weights to increase muscle tone slowly and gently, while increasing the range of motion of your arms.

These classes can also help improve balance and coordination and reduce the risk of falling.

There are times when these classes seem like they might be boring. But gymnastics classes are not only a fantastic opportunity to exercise, they also allow you to explore new hobbies that you may not have considered doing before.

You can also make new friends and maintain your independence well into old age.

How can physical therapy improve your mobility?

Do you notice your mobility and range of motion are getting worse?

As we age, one clear fact is that we become stiffer and experience aches and pains from time to time.

Although your doctor may tell you this is part of getting older, we believe it doesn’t have to be that way. There is always something that can be done and there is still time to improve.

We treat patients who experience bothersome aches and pains that affect their mobility and ability to function independently.

If you have more questions, I encourage you to stop by our Nordicfysio clinic in Punta Prima or contact us and we will see what the cause is and how we can solve it.