Leverage These Physical Therapy Practices to Make Getting Older Easier

While there’s nothing we can do about the reality of aging, modern medicine has given us some surprisingly effective methods of staying healthy well into our later years. Direct access to physical therapy in particular can be incredibly helpful for elderly people and help stave off many common effects of aging.

Physical therapy is designed to assist people in achieving maximum mobility, comfort, and overall physical health in avariety of contexts. These tips taken from the world of physical therapy will contribute to a healthy lifestyle and keep you feeling youthful well into the future.

1.Don’t Stop Trying to Improve Your Strength

We commonly accept the association of aging and getting physically weaker, but research indicates that elderly people can still make substantial progress in their strength. By following ahealthy diet and exercise regimen developed with a physical therapist, you mayfind yourself feeling more capable of a range of activities in a matter ofmonths.

Increased physical strength can have a significant impact on your lifestyle as you get older. Your muscles may be ableto exert themselves into your 70s and 80s, allowing you to maintain yourlifestyle for a longer period of time. Your physical therapist can help you create the fitness routine that’s right for you and your body.

2. Exercise Can Also Help Your Bones

Osteoporosis is an extremely common condition that disproportionately affects elderly people. Roughly 200 million people suffer from osteoporosis, but there are some effective strategies that can reduce the risk of being affected or decrease theseverity of the symptoms if you already have it.

In addition to helping build muscular strength, exercises that involve movement like dancing, jogging, and walking,as well as others such as weightlifting, can promote bone health throughout your body. Ask your physical therapist for some exercises you can do to keep your bones strong as you age.

3. Stay Active to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s

10% of the population over 65 suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and your risk of contracting it grows as you get older. Physical activity has been linked to reduced chances of Alzheimer’s as well asother memory problems. Staying active as you age can therefore benefit both your physical and mental health.

4. Regular Exercise Promotes Heart Health

Heart disease continues to be the most commoncause of death in the United States (and many other parts of the world), and, like many other medical conditions,becomes more prevalent as we get older. Getting regular exercise improves your circulation, helps encourage a healthy weight, and prevents you from becoming sedentary.

As you can see, adopting a healthy exercise routine can have a surprising effect on nearly all aspects of your physical and mental health. While aging is difficult for everyone, talking to a physical therapist about becoming more active may be the first step toward developing a healthier lifestyle.