Old age could pose quite stressful complications, especially with your mobility. At one moment you were very flexible and could walk around unaided, then the next, you can hardly move from one point to another. Perhaps you’ll experience changes in your overall lifestyle and independence. Luckily, there are quite a number of proven and effective coping methods that you can use to remedy the reduced mobility. Below are 8 of such methods. Please read on.
- Eat Healthy Diets
Obesity is a disadvantage for the elderly when it comes to their mobility. This is because the excess weight exerts a lot of pressure on your joints, hence affecting your mobility. Which is why you need to be keen on the diets that you take. If you’re obese, you should consult your doctor to advise you on the diets that will help you lose weight. Processed foods should be your enemy during this stage and should focus on eating foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. And if you can hardly cook or have some complicated condition, you should consider hiring a qualified caregiver to provide elder care services. Therefore, if you’re living with one or more chronic conditions, you can learn more about how you can benefit from in-home medical care services available in your state.
- Embrace an Active Lifestyle
Being active is very pertinent, especially at this time being a senior. When you’re active, your muscles are engaged and you’ll be in a better position to maintain your weight. It also enhances your flexibility and, hence, your mobility. Therefore, if you’re not involved in any active lifestyle program, make a point of finding something to participate in. Among the activities that can enhance your active lifestyle include walking around the compound, meeting with different people, and joining a senior group. These activities will help you become active rather than staying immobile at home.
- Change Your Living Space
Perhaps you won’t like it living in a space where you’ll have to climb up and down steep stairs every time you need to access your room. Your vision is also likely to be poor and this means that you need to stay in a home that’s properly lit. Perhaps you should ask your family to change your living space to one that you’ll have plenty of clear space. Accessing the space should also be easier with no or few and less-steep stairs. If your loved one requires occasional assistance when walking through the house and you’re, in one way or another, not available to look after him/her, you should hire a caregiver to help you with this.
- Work on Your Balance
Your brain needs to work together with the body in order to attain proper balance. Without proper balance, you can easily slip and fall, and the outcome might not be that good for you. Balance issues are bound to become more common as you age due to limited mobility. In order to prevent such issues, you’ll need to work on your balance. How can you achieve this? Well, you need to embrace balance training on a regular basis. Perform such exercises like going up the stairs, standing on one foot, side leg raises, and back leg raises.
- Make Use of Mobility Assistance Devices
Reduced mobility can really cost you a lot. But this loss isn’t the end of your hopes, thanks to the several walking aids that have been introduced. These assistance devices will help you attain your balance and move around easily. However, you’ll need to be keen not to overuse the aids as they could impair your mobility in the long run. You need to use an assistance device that will help you overcome limited mobility and at the same time motivate you to remain active.
- Exercise Regularly
Exercising is a very important factor for you right now. The joint and muscle movement is vital for increasing your balance, enhancing your coordination, and in easing the signs of arthritis. Considering your current situation, you should consult your healthcare provider to advise you on the suitable exercises to concentrate on. But it is advisable that you be careful not to overdo the exercises as they can be counterproductive. You could be having severe mobility issues and may need to be assisted to perform the exercises. This is where having a qualified caregiver would make your mobility easier and safer.
- Change the Environment
There’s a high probability of developing mobility issues if you’d choose to stop moving. The environment plays a vital role in determining if you’ll be moving around or not. Perhaps you should consider changing your environment if the current one isn’t supportive enough. Look for a place where there are plenty of places which attracts you and would feel privileged to visit. This will push you to move regularly and as a result, your overall mobility will be boosted. If your loved one is using a walking aid, you need to ensure that there are no or environmental barriers around. Things like degraded sidewalks, nursing carts left in pathways, trash-cans on the doorways, and narrow hallways could prevent your loved one from accessing other important facilities outside their living space. This reduction in physical activity may accelerate your loved one’s mobility decline.
- Improve Your Hearing and Vision
You’re more likely to experience several sensory impairments that come with old age. And hearing and vision impairments will greatly affect your balance and the power to easily get around without falling. This will make it difficult for you to interact with the world around you and can make life miserable. Therefore, if your mobility is getting poor, you should consider getting help from a medical professional to advise you on the best remedy. This way, you’ll be able to reduce the risk of falling, which could worsen the harm on your mobility.
Conclusion
Aging comes with a number of challenges, with experiencing loss of mobility being a major challenge. But even then, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of life. There are different coping methods available that you can implement. These methods will help you get the best out of your old age rather than losing everything because of reduced mobility. You can also look out for other relevant themed blogs to learn more about old age and reduced mobility. Good luck!
