How easy can you get up out of a chair or off the lounge? Perhaps you even let out a little groan when performing this task?

If this sounds like you, there is a good chance you are having, or beginning to have, some mobility issues.

The “use it or lose it” mantra was never more appropriate and without intervention in the form of exercise your mobility is only going to get worse.

A lack of mobility is also one of the primary reasons that older adults lose their independence and end up reliant on others for their basic needs which inevitably leads to an aged care facility.

I have a friend whose parents are in their 80s and recently went into an aged care facility and she shared their story with me.

Dad is reasonably healthy with good mobility so could quite easily still be living independently at home, but it was mum’s poor health that gave them little choice.

When they were in their 60s they were as healthy as each other and were quite active in the garden, played a bit of tennis and did plenty of walking.

Then around 70, mum decided it was all a bit too hard and pretty much stopped doing anything except the occasional stroll.

She also started eating a lot more cakes and sweets and so she put on weight and the deterioration in her mobility over the next five years was unbelievable.

My siblings and I tried to help her and keep her moving, as did dad, but he had no hope as mum always wore the pants. She was so lazy, and her excuse was always “I am growing old gracefully”.

Dad meanwhile kept walking, made some improvements to his diet, joined a ‘Heart Moves’ class at his local gym and also the local men’s shed.

Dad did his best to look after mum in their home as long as he could, but it became impossible when mum refused the homecare services and would make poor dad do everything for her.

You wouldn’t believe it but as soon as we started looking for an aged care facility mum decide she would like to do some exercise because she thought that would magically fix everything so they could have stayed in their family home of 50 years, but it was too late.

Grow old gracefully?? I don’t know about you, but I do not consider being toileted by my spouse, or anyone else for that matter, as graceful.

I understand there may come a time that I am dependent on others or end up in an aged care facility, however it will not be because of a lack of respect for my body which this universe has loaned me for only a short period of time.

There is the rare one among us who can stay healthy and youthful and maintain good mobility well into the golden years without any form of formal exercise, but these people are few and far between.

For us mere mortals we must keep moving and challenging ourselves both physically and mentally.

So, the next time you get up of the lounge pay attention.

If there happens to be a groan involved, it is time to get moving before it’s too late.

Start with small consistent changes and before you know it a new habit will have formed.

If you need assistance in getting started Newcastle has an abundance of quality training facilities ready to help.

You don’t need to take your exercise seriously, but you do need to take it regularly.

Until next time

Health and happiness

• This is a regular column written by health expert Stephen Smith from Merewether Fitness Studio

You can follow Stephen on Instagram @panchos_perspective

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