By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
In his book “How to Keep Mom (and Yourself) Out of a Nursing Home: Seven Keys to Keeping Your Independence,” David Fisher, MD, MPH, notes that the loss of mobility is one of the common causes for admission to a nursing home.
There are many reasons why people stop moving like they used to. A stroke can cause paralysis or significant weakness. Arthritis can make it painful to move. Loneliness and depression can impact motivation and energy. You can develop concerns about balance and falling so you tend to stay put. Or, you believe you have reached that point in your life where you can sit back, relax, and live your life as a couch potato.
Whatever the reason might be, the lack of exercise is one of the key reasons why people lose their mobility and independence, says Dr. Fisher, who is a geriatrician. His passion is to enhance the health of his patients by providing them with practical and effective steps for aging well.
When discussing what people can do to preserve their mobility, he cites Isaac Newton’s First Law of Thermodynamics: “An object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest stays at rest.”
He stresses that regular exercise is the most important step you can take to preserve your mobility. What he suggests as a practical step is 30 minutes of aerobic exercise four days a week. Your exercise routine should also include some form of weight training.
Of vital importance is strengthening your quadriceps because they play such an important role in your ability to get in and out of a bed or a chair.
Regular exercise also provides many other benefits for your mind and your body that can help you maintain your mobility and independence and avoid having to move to a nursing home.
Other steps you can take, recommends Dr. Fisher, include getting proper nutrition and eliminating any potential mobility safety concerns such as poor lighting or a lack of properly installed grab bars in the bathroom where you live.
You’ll find all seven of Dr. Fisher’s keys to keeping your independence in his book “ How to Keep Mom (and Yourself) Out of a Nursing Home.”
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
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