Moving Freely: Mobility As Another Marker For Healthy Aging

So, how much mobility do you have? How freely can you move on your own? You probably instinctively know that the more mobility you have, the more likely you are to remain physically fit and active, and, importantly, independent. Mobility certainly includes walking and maintaining your balance, so as to avoid a fall or other injury. But you can also still have mobility while using a cane, walker, rollator, or even a wheelchair. The concept also includes driving or being able to safely access other modes of transportation. It’s estimated that mobility limitations affect about 35% of people at age 70, and by the age of 85, the majority of older adults experience mobility limitations. Many experts consider mobility one of the central hallmarks of aging and independence, yet at the same time, there seems to be insufficient attention paid to mobility in terms of proactively assessing and monitoring it among older adults. There is much evidence connecting loss of mobility to such unfortunate aging milestones as hospitalization, institutionalization, long-term dependency, and even mortality. Loss of mobility can, in fact, be a result of too much emphasis on safety and stillness in the short-term, over the longer-term need for physical activity to maintain independence. But ignoring mobility as a sign of how someone is aging is penny-wise and pound-foolish- it works to the detriment of individuals who become less healthy and more dependent if they lose mobility, and it propels us toward mounting health care costs among older immobile adults, who have more ill health to contend with and therefore more costs incurred to respond.

In fact, among older adults, there is outright fear about the loss of mobility and what it means for someone’s quality of life. According to a recent study commissioned by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the majority of survey respondents said loss of mobility and the ability to do things they love is their biggest fear about aging. In response, the APTA has launched a campaign to alert older adults to the proactive benefits of sustaining mobility that can come from working with a physical therapist. Under the guise of “PT For Future Me,” this educational campaign hopes to instill an understanding that “movement is a lifelong necessity” for everyone, including older adults. For more on this campaign, click here.

So how do you maintain or even improve your mobility as an older adult? First, you may need to stay aware of any signs of mobility decline. It’s not likely that you’ll suddenly have a drastic limitation in your mobility unless you suffer a significant trauma. Rather, you may begin to notice small changes: more difficulty getting out of a chair without holding on or needing to lean against counters or walls when you are standing. Or maybe you are reluctant to drive the way you used to, or groan more loudly when you need to pick up something that’s fallen. Furthermore, if you do detect that your mobility is declining (that is, you have less ability to freely move around your environment), exercise and physical therapy are valuable in maintaining your status or preventing further decline (always check in with your physician for advice about where to turn). And detection of decline should be the trigger for ensuring the safety of your environment, whether that means adding handrails, grab bars, or learning to use adaptive mobility devices like canes or walkers. There’s also strong evidence of a direct connection between mobility and sensory loss. Without proper vision and hearing, you may be less safe when moving about- you may have less awareness of your spatial surroundings or less ability to perceive risks. So make sure any mobility decline you perceive is accompanied by check-ups for vision and hearing loss.

Good mobility also requires strength and flexibility, and for that, you can incorporate regular stretching and exercises into your daily routines to preserve and maintain your movement. The New York Times just published an extensive post underscoring the value of mobility for aging well and outlining 5 detailed workout regimens to stretch, work on your mobility, improve your posture, and even incorporate some yoga and Pilates moves along the way. The Associated Press also recently published a post about exercises that will allow you to strengthen muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons, which need to work together to allow smooth movement and mobility. Included in that post is a reference to Jessica Valent, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor who has an everyday, full-body mobility workout on her YouTube channel. HealthLine also recently published 5 mobility exercises, with visual demonstrations, aimed at improving your flexibility and mobility. And Silver Sneakers has a valuable standing mobility workout video free of charge on YouTube.

Finally, you don’t want to forget stretching as another important way to support and sustain your mobility. Stretching can reduce muscle tightness and improve joint mobility, and it can also help your nervous system become used to tolerating a better range of motion. As one expert made clear, “The more you stretch, the more you can stretch.” For some valuable stretching movements, take a look at this video from our friends at Yes2Next. Finally, if you find yourself in need of adaptive equipment to keep yourself moving and mobile, Consumer Reports has an important article about the best strategies for securing equipment in the most cost-effective, safe, and productive way possible.