Staying healthy and active is the key to quality of life as you get older
There are many benefits :
- independent living
- being able to drive for longer
- joining in more social activities
- less visits to the doctor
- reduced health care costs
- having more confidence
- feeling happier
Who wouldn´t want to stay active and fit for as long as possible!
The key to staying healthy and independent
There are many things you need to include as part of your lifestyle to enjoy a long and healthy life. The most important being :
- a healthy diet
- exercise
- relaxation
- a positive attitude
- a good night’s sleep
- brain activity
Exercise should be part of your daily routine. It’s important to maintain muscle strength, but it’s also important to maintain flexibility .
Flexibility gives you further range of motion. Meaning you can reach out without causing injury to the muscles.
Shortened muscles can pull your body into a slumped position which aggravates back pain and arthritic pain.
For example, a lot of elderly people suffer from knee arthritis due to gradually wearing away the cartilage in the knee joint. As the cartilage wears away, the space between the bones decreases. Resulting in bone rubbing on bone. This can be very painful.
In stretching the muscles surrounding the knee joint, the knee joint bones are pulled apart resulting in less pain.
In general, specific exercises help increase range of motion and flexibility. As well as strengthening the muscles you need for daily activities.
Your physiotherapist can supervise you to ensure you do them properly. They can also develop an exercise program tailored to your needs and lifestyle.