Guest Blogger Steven Griffin, DPT
It’s a fact of life: as we age, our bodies are not quite as resilient as they used to be. Strength, endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular and pulmonary function, bone and joint health, and other physical functions begin to decline. You may have noticed that you or someone you know is having difficulty walking, bending over, lifting objects, climbing stairs, or other daily activities due to pain, weakness, or inflexibility. However, aging does not necessarily translate into dysfunction throughout our daily lives. The effects of aging can be slowed, and one of the best ways to combat these effects is through regular exercise and body maintenance.
The benefits of exercise are numerous for all ages. Some of those major benefits are as follows:
- Cardiovascular health: Stressing the heart through exercise improves circulation, activity endurance, lung function, and energy levels.
- Muscle strength and endurance: Our muscles, even as we get older, adapt to the stresses they are subjected to. Improving strength and endurance through exercise can translate into easing daily activities like walking, standing up from a chair, picking things off the ground, and lifting heavy objects.
- Reducing musculoskeletal pains: Pain can arise when muscles, joints, nerves, or other structures aren’t working the way they are supposed to. Specific exercise to address body impairments related to these structures can help prevent or reduce pain.
- Social wellness: Going to exercise classes, the gym, playing sports, or just walking with a group is a good way to interact with your family and friends which plays a huge role in mental and emotional health.
Although these are some of the major benefits, they are by no means the only benefits of exercising. When I work with clients, I often hear them say things like “I’m too old to do that” or “I just have to accept the fact that I’m getting old.” I believe this is the wrong mindset. As an expert on the human body, I know that exercising can help slow the aging process. I often respond to those clients claims with the following: You don’t stop doing physical activity because you got old, you got old because you stopped doing physical activity.
Now, where does physical therapy come into this? What if you are having pain that is preventing you from exercising? What if you want to exercise but you aren’t sure what you should be doing? Physical therapists are extensively trained in both pain management and exercise programming. If you are suffering from pain, weakness, difficulty with daily activities, low energy levels, or any combination of these, then you should consider making an appointment at Druid Hills Physical Therapy. A highly skilled physical therapist on staff will evaluate your needs and select the appropriate interventions based on their findings.
These are your golden years. Don’t let the fact that you are getting older get in the way of living the life that you want to live. You may find that you are capable of things that you previously thought were only possible for the much younger version of yourself. Make your appointment today, and start your journey towards a more active and enjoyable life!
