Oh My Hammy!
How Physical Therapy Helps Retirees Keep Dreams Alive During the Golden Years
By Dr. V. Norene Christensen
Do you have high aspirations for how you’ll spend the extra time during your post-retirement years?
Whether you plan to travel the world, pick up fly fishing, spend more time woodworking or sign up for a golf league, your physical fitness level will be a factor.
A 2010 study suggests that we can attribute fitness decline in advanced age to living sedentary lifestyles – which are on the rise
- The prominence of desk jobs in the workplace
- Activity limiting personal technologies
- The prominence of desk jobs in the workplace activity limiting personal technologies voice activated remote controls in the home
This runs contrary to the widely held belief that any decline in our physical abilities are caused solely by the biological clock.
Movement is imperative to joint health, cardiovascular health and functional abilities. Keep squatting; keep exercising; stay with what you love and you will be able to do it longer!
The above mentioned study (which examined 900,000 running times of marathon and half-marathon participants aged 20 to 79) found no significant age-related performance declines in those younger than 55 years old, and only moderate declines among the older cohorts. In fact, more than one-quarter of runners aged 65 to 69 were faster than half of the runners aged 20 to 54.
And for those thinking that these runners must have been lifelong enthusiasts of the sport, the study revealed that 25% of runners aged 50 to 69 were relative newcomers—and had started marathon training within the previous five years. The researchers concluded that even at an advanced age, people in the “non-athlete” category who engage in regular training can reach high performance levels.
If this revelation is intriguing, then perhaps it’s time for you to get moving! If you aren’t currently active, then you likely have questions and concerns about where to start. If you regularly engage in physical activities, then you’ve probably set goals that you’d like to achieve.
Either way, there’s no shortage of tools and resources to help you live a more active lifestyle but one reliable place to start is with a physical therapist.
The benefits of beginning with a physical therapist consultation are many:
Physical Therapists are trained:
- To assess your abilities and limitations
- Consider your health concerns
- Demonstrate safe exercises
- Build a plan to increase strength, function and mobility
Whatever Your Passion Is, Physical Therapy Will Help You Be Fit And Injury-Free So You May Enjoy Life’s Many Pursuits.
Four Pines Physical Therapy believes in life-long activity and we want to see you live your life to the fullest! Your Golden Years are meant to be fun and adventurous – let us help you achieve and enjoy your Golden Years!
To Fun and Adventure!
Four Pines Physical Therapy Team