How The Elderly Can Improve Their Mobility With Simple Exercises

Old age can be a true blessing. The retirement age in Australia is 66.5 years, and the average life expectancy is almost 83 years old. 

Retirement can be the time to travel, learn new skills, enjoy more physical activity, and take on new hobbies. But, for all of that to be possible, one must take good care of their mobility and prevent stagnation from setting in.

We’ve put together this post to go over the importance of mobility and how you can improve yours with a few simple movements.

What Is Mobility And Why Is It So Important For Older Adults?

Mobility refers to your ability to move through space. It encompasses physical strength, balance, joint range of motion, muscle flexibility, endurance capacity, and more.

Older individuals often face mobility issues that prevent them from doing many things, even simple ones like walking or climbing a flight of stairs. According to data from a recent study, mobility issues can occur due to impairments in central nervous system activity, muscle weakness, past traumas, joint issues, and more. 

Taking good care of your mobility is vital for leading a more fulfilling and independent life. It leads to better functionality, a lower risk of falls, and greater independence. 

How to Improve Your Mobility With Simple Movements

1. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are an excellent movement that strengthens your hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings). The movement is simple to learn and promotes stability in the hip and midsection, allowing you to move more freely and maintain balance.

You can begin with three sets of 5 to 15 reps weekly.

2. Wall Push-Ups

Wall push-ups are a beginner-friendly version of the classic exercise. Performing the movement against a wall is a great way to strengthen your upper body, stabilize your shoulders, and promote good mobility.

Like glute bridges, you can begin with three sets of 5 to 15 reps twice weekly.

3. Band Pull-Aparts (Front)

Band pull-aparts are a good strength and mobility exercise you can perform with a simple resistance band. The objective is to grab a band with both hands, raise your arms in front of you, and pull to the sides. Doing so strengthens your shoulders and upper back, promoting good mobility and improving your posture.

Depending on how much resistance your band offers, you can do three sets of 10 to 30 reps, making sure to feel a burning sensation in your shoulders and posterior musculature.

4. Banded Lateral Walks

Banded lateral walks are slightly unorthodox, but they work incredibly well to strengthen the glutes (maximus, minimus, and medius), piriformis, psoas major and minor, and more. Doing so is terrific for improving your balance, opening up your hip region, becoming more functional, and reducing the risk of falls.

An excellent way to perform the exercise is to take a small looped band and place it just over your knees. Once set up, begin taking lateral steps in one direction, engaging your buttocks and outer thigh musculature. Then, take the same number of steps in the opposite direction.

Start with ten steps to the left and ten to the right. You can do the movement daily or every other day.