Why does your mobility reduce as you get older?

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) recently mapped how Ireland’s population is ageing, and some findings raise concern. By 2057, the number of people over 65 is expected to double compared to 2027, and 66% of them will be overweight or obese.

This data raises a red flag: it seems that many people are ageing in an unhealthy way.

Sedentary lifestyles, excessive screen time, high consumption of processed foods, and lack of physical activity all contribute to the acceleration of a natural condition called “Sarcopenia”, the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength.

This condition is common with age, but it can become a serious problem. Everyday activities like carrying groceries, getting out of a chair, or climbing stairs can become difficult or even impossible. Reduced mobility also significantly increases the risk of falls and injuries at home.

Are you at risk?

Only your GP can provide a diagnosis, but according to the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute, you may be at risk of sarcopenia if you experience two or more of the following:

• Difficulty lifting or carrying 10 pounds (around a heavy bag of groceries)

• Difficulty walking across a room

• Trouble getting in or out of a chair or bed

• Struggling to climb a flight of 10 stairs

• Falls within the past year

  
  

Prevention

It’s never too early (or too late) to start taking care of your muscles. Regular movement and good nutrition can help you stay strong, independent, and mobile well into later life.

Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is key to healthy ageing. That means:

• Eating a nutritious, protein-rich diet

• Staying physically active. Even daily walking or gentle resistance exercises can help

• Staying hydrated

• Getting quality sleep

• Avoiding long periods of inactivity

You don’t have to go to the gym to keep active; you can do low-impact exercises at home. They are simple and require just a dining chair. Check it out the following video:

17 Chair Exercises for Seniors & Elderly

Treatment

No medications are approved to treat sarcopenia, but exercises are the golden fleece. It is really hard to reverse the condition; however, physiotherapy can help you to regain strength. In fact, physiotherapy is an important ally to restore wellness to people following injury, pain, or disability. A tailored exercise plan designed by a physiotherapist ensures that movements are safe, gradual, and adapted to individual needs or limitations. It also helps improve balance, posture, and coordination.

Deniss, one of our lovely companions who studied physiotherapy, gave us interesting insights into delaying mobility loss. The best way to avoid the condition is to keep active. But what if you just like to chill on the sofa and watch some telly? Her first tip is: discover what you like to do. If you like swimming, go for it. If you prefer walking, why not save 30 minutes to go to the park or walk beside the canal? Maybe you prefer cycling? If you don’t know what you like, experiment all alternatives. One of them will make you feel happy and will help to keep your muscles safe.

Finding something that you enjoy will help you to progress to the second step: keep the consistency.

To illustrate, she shared with us a happy story of a patient she had back in Mexico. This patient had a condition that affected her cartilages. Deniss suggested she try swimming just for a month. She enjoyed it so much that she started to compete in the local lake, and now the alumni patient is competing in open waters. Her condition is not a problem anymore; she had a huge improvement on her quality of life through physical activity.

Our wonderful companion suggests that playing games is a very good way to keep moving and keep your mind active. When playing, you don’t realise you are exercising, but your body will feel the difference. This technique is used with patients who already have a very low mobility, but still have good stability. Games with balloons, balls, and light objects are easy exercises that can make a huge difference in muscular strength.

Keep moving stay active!

The experience in Elder Home Share is helping Deniss to have a clear vision of the career goals as physiotherapist: “the aim of this career is mobility, but sometimes you don’t see how far you patient can go, and when I met my

homeowner and discovered she was almost 100 years old, still independent, I was astonished. I asked her siblings how her life was, and they told me that she was really active, and still is. I admire her a lot. She does her own stuff, and it is clear to me now that it is possible to live healthily that long.”

To answer the question: when should I start?, Deniss is direct: “You don’t need to wait for a disease or a condition to start moving; you need to start before that happens.”

If you are concerned about a loved one living alone reach out to us today to find out more about Elder Home Share.