YOUNGER AND HEALTHIER FOR LONGER
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Mobility for Longevity
Mobility extends longevity; some health experts even regard mobility as the closest thing to an anti-aging pill.
Unfortunately, the lifespan of many seniors and retirees is often cut short by falling, which becomes an over-concern that leads to immobility, and thus creating a vicious cycle of immobility among the elderly.
Falling is the most common cause of death in the elderly. Falling is the 2nd leading cause of death in women aged between 65 and 85, and the leading cause of death for most individuals over 85.
It is a myth that aging makes you fall, and falling is part of growing old. The truth is that you fall because your muscles have lost their flexibility and you have lost your body balance.
In addition, falls are neither accidental nor random occurrences; on the contrary they are predictable occurrences due to many environmental and human factors.
Falling is the Number One factor in aging because it creates fear among the elderly, immobilizing them into inertia, which often brings about rapid decline in their mental faculty. It is, therefore, important to maintain mental alertness through brain power.
That said, aging does impose certain limitations on your body, but aging does not necessarily make you fall. You fall because of you are immobile. Being physically active and maintaining good posture hold the key to preventing falls, and hence to longevity and anti-aging living.
Falling
Falling is due to both external and internal conditions.
External conditions may include: inadequate lighting, and scattered objects. Therefore, it is important to de-clutter your living environment. Clear physical clutter to clear your mind.
Internal conditions may include:
Unfortunately, the lifespan of many seniors and retirees is often cut short by falling, which becomes an over-concern that leads to immobility, and thus creating a vicious cycle of immobility among the elderly.
Falling is the most common cause of death in the elderly. Falling is the 2nd leading cause of death in women aged between 65 and 85, and the leading cause of death for most individuals over 85.
It is a myth that aging makes you fall, and falling is part of growing old. The truth is that you fall because your muscles have lost their flexibility and you have lost your body balance.
In addition, falls are neither accidental nor random occurrences; on the contrary they are predictable occurrences due to many environmental and human factors.
Falling is the Number One factor in aging because it creates fear among the elderly, immobilizing them into inertia, which often brings about rapid decline in their mental faculty. It is, therefore, important to maintain mental alertness through brain power.
That said, aging does impose certain limitations on your body, but aging does not necessarily make you fall. You fall because of you are immobile. Being physically active and maintaining good posture hold the key to preventing falls, and hence to longevity and anti-aging living.
Falling
Falling is due to both external and internal conditions.
External conditions may include: inadequate lighting, and scattered objects. Therefore, it is important to de-clutter your living environment. Clear physical clutter to clear your mind.
Internal conditions may include:
| • | Body balance problems caused by circulatory problems |
| • | Diseases (arthritis, osteoporosis) |
| • | Medications (sedatives) |
| • | Mental problems (confusion and dementia) |
| • | Muscular weakness |
| • | Poor vision |
These conditions make you become either more immobilized out of fear of falling, or more prone to falling.
How to prevent falling
Strengthen some of your inactive muscles that cause body balance problems, contributing to falling. For anti-aging, always maintain good posture. For more information go to my web page: Good Posture to find out how to reduce aches and pains through good posture.
Also, concentration plays a pivotal role in preventing falls. Enhance concentration through daily meditation, which is complemented by healthy breathing. Go to my web page: Meditation Techniques to find out how to concentrate through meditation.
Fear is not anti-aging: in fact, it is the Number One obstacle in practicing and repeating certain movements on a regular basis aimed at enhancing your body balance to improve your flexibility to benefit both your physical and emotional well-being.
Fear is an obstacle to your general fitness. Use determination and practice to overcome your fear. Do not under estimate your mind power. Remember, everything is in your mind. Change your attitude about the fear of falling:
How to prevent falling
Strengthen some of your inactive muscles that cause body balance problems, contributing to falling. For anti-aging, always maintain good posture. For more information go to my web page: Good Posture to find out how to reduce aches and pains through good posture.
Also, concentration plays a pivotal role in preventing falls. Enhance concentration through daily meditation, which is complemented by healthy breathing. Go to my web page: Meditation Techniques to find out how to concentrate through meditation.
Fear is not anti-aging: in fact, it is the Number One obstacle in practicing and repeating certain movements on a regular basis aimed at enhancing your body balance to improve your flexibility to benefit both your physical and emotional well-being.
Fear is an obstacle to your general fitness. Use determination and practice to overcome your fear. Do not under estimate your mind power. Remember, everything is in your mind. Change your attitude about the fear of falling:
| • | Do not conserve your mobility; fully utilize mobility to your advantage. |
| • | Fear makes you feel inadequate and insecure, making you more prone to falling. |
| • | Over-caution constricts your muscles, making them more tense and inflexible, and further impairing your balance system. |
| • | Make what is impossible become fun to you. |
| • | Don’t be afraid to be physically fit - it is your right at any age! |
| • | Harness the power of positive habits. |
| • | Exercise all your life. Qi Gong, Yoga, and walking are some of the exercises you can do irrespective of your age. Go to my blog: Yoga Health. |
Visit my web page: Physical Exercise to find out resources you will need to make yourself mobile and physically fit at any age. For example, even with compromised mobility, you will need full-body, low-impact exercise, with a resistance chair to do the exercise while sitting down. You will find the type of physical activity that may suit your age and personality.
The closest thing to an anti-aging pill is mobility, which holds the key to longevity. Do not avoid any situation that might cause you to fall; instead, move to avoid and thereby preventing falls. Movement, activity, and exercise promote and enhance your mental, emotional, and social wellbeing, which are main ingredients of a happy and long life.
Mobility serves several functions:
The closest thing to an anti-aging pill is mobility, which holds the key to longevity. Do not avoid any situation that might cause you to fall; instead, move to avoid and thereby preventing falls. Movement, activity, and exercise promote and enhance your mental, emotional, and social wellbeing, which are main ingredients of a happy and long life.
Mobility serves several functions:
| • | Improving eye-hand-foot coordination |
| • | Improving motor skills |
| • | Improving reaction time |
| • | Improving spatial awareness |
| • | Improving good balance and posture |
| • | Improving mental capability due to more oxygen from the blood |
| • | Improving overall confidence and self-este |
Mobility begins with balancing exercises that maintain and sustain mobility all your life.
Balancing activities
Set aside a specific time each day to practice balancing activities, and stay with it.
Learn to balance yourself.
Find your own focal point by focusing your eyes on an object.
Practice balancing by slightly raising one foot, either right or left, in the following positions:
Balancing activities
Set aside a specific time each day to practice balancing activities, and stay with it.
Learn to balance yourself.
Find your own focal point by focusing your eyes on an object.
Practice balancing by slightly raising one foot, either right or left, in the following positions:
| • | Both hands on your hips |
| • | Both hands at your sides |
| • | Both hands outstretched sideways |
| • | Both hands raised above your head in a “V” position |
Warm up by stretching.
Stretching has substantial health benefits:
Stretching has substantial health benefits:
| • | Increasing your mobility range |
| • | Increasing your muscle flexibility |
| • | Increasing your energy level |
| • | Increasing your blood circulation |
| • | Increasing your protection against injury should you fall |
Strengthen your leg for balance, equilibrium, and mobility.
Sit on a chair, and relax, with feet apart, and hands on your sides.
Stand up a little, with legs bent, and hands on your sides, and HOLD at a count of five.
Next, stand up a little more, with legs still slightly bent, and hands on your sides, and HOLD at a count of five.
Now, stand up straight and tall, and HOLD at a count of five.
REVERSE and REPEAT the process until you sit down on the chair.
Strengthen your ankles and feet for balance and flexibility.
Stand tall with your feet slightly apart.
Slowly raise both heels from the floor, and HOLD for a count of five.
Slowly lower both heels, and relax.
REPEAT five to ten times.
Enhance and improve your body balance and flexibility for mobility.
Stand tall, feet slightly apart, with arms stretched out sideways for body balance.
Slowly bend your right knee, and cross your right foot in front of and to the outside of your left foot, touching your right toes to the floor.
With your right knee still bent, slowly and gently SWING your right leg from the front position to behind your left leg, touching your right toes to the floor. Use your stretched out arms to balance if necessary.
REPEAT activity using your left foot.
Words of wisdom on mobility
No matter how careful you are, there will be times when an accidental fall may happen to you. However, if your body remains loose and flexible, your injury may be reduced to a minimum.
Make yourself mobile at all times. Good posture is also important to body balance. Improving balance reduces your vulnerability to falling.
The more fit your feet and legs are, the more resistant you will be to falling. Frequent and repeated falls may impair your long-term mobility, and deteriorate the quality of your longevity living for anti-aging. Strengthen you feet and legs, and let mobility be an anti-aging pill to add years to your life.
Mobility adds years to your life. Mobility gives meaning to longevity living.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
The content of this site cannot be copied or reproduced in any form without the author's permission.
Sit on a chair, and relax, with feet apart, and hands on your sides.
Stand up a little, with legs bent, and hands on your sides, and HOLD at a count of five.
Next, stand up a little more, with legs still slightly bent, and hands on your sides, and HOLD at a count of five.
Now, stand up straight and tall, and HOLD at a count of five.
REVERSE and REPEAT the process until you sit down on the chair.
Strengthen your ankles and feet for balance and flexibility.
Stand tall with your feet slightly apart.
Slowly raise both heels from the floor, and HOLD for a count of five.
Slowly lower both heels, and relax.
REPEAT five to ten times.
Enhance and improve your body balance and flexibility for mobility.
Stand tall, feet slightly apart, with arms stretched out sideways for body balance.
Slowly bend your right knee, and cross your right foot in front of and to the outside of your left foot, touching your right toes to the floor.
With your right knee still bent, slowly and gently SWING your right leg from the front position to behind your left leg, touching your right toes to the floor. Use your stretched out arms to balance if necessary.
REPEAT activity using your left foot.
Words of wisdom on mobility
No matter how careful you are, there will be times when an accidental fall may happen to you. However, if your body remains loose and flexible, your injury may be reduced to a minimum.
Make yourself mobile at all times. Good posture is also important to body balance. Improving balance reduces your vulnerability to falling.
The more fit your feet and legs are, the more resistant you will be to falling. Frequent and repeated falls may impair your long-term mobility, and deteriorate the quality of your longevity living for anti-aging. Strengthen you feet and legs, and let mobility be an anti-aging pill to add years to your life.
Mobility adds years to your life. Mobility gives meaning to longevity living.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
The content of this site cannot be copied or reproduced in any form without the author's permission.
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