By: Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
Everyone knows exercise is good for our bodies, but for many, exercising can seem daunting or out of reach. The excuses vary, just as each of us are varied: “My back hurts,” “My knees hurt,” “My hips hurt,” “I’m too old/overweight,” “It’s too cold/too wet/too hot outside,” “I’m too tired,”… and the list goes on. The fact remains, as we age, our bodies change. Aches and pains often become a regular part of our lives. Instead of telling ourselves repeatedly we can’t exercise, we CAN incorporate moving more during our day.
This simply means we should purposely move our body throughout the day. This can and should be encouraged at any age. These small increases in movement will add strength and endurance while helping us better manage the aches and pains.
Here are some simple ideas to add movement to your day:
- Walk to the mailbox if you can
- Park your car away from the entrance of a store, appointment, or place you’re going
- If you have stairs, go up and down multiple times a day. Keep track to see if you can increase over time.
- Sit in a chair with arms, stand up and sit down as many times as you can in a minute. Do this in the morning, noon and evening.
- March in place during commercials or to a favorite song.
- Practice balancing on one leg by holding your opposite knee up. Working on balancing exercises is extremely valuable. Consider doing chair yoga, Tai Chi or other balance-focused activities. Many video routines are offered online.
- If in a wheelchair or bed, movement can still be added. Do leg lifts, ankle rolls, arm lifts, or rolling from side to side. Sit up in a chair as much as possible during daylight hours.
Along with mindfully moving our bodies, another important piece of staying well is staying socially engaged. This is true and used to be a regular part of our lives. I can remember my grandmother’s trips to the grocery store involved talking with the butcher, the bakery department, and whomever was shopping or working that day. She probably added an extra half hour to the trip just by chit-chatting along the way. My grandmother would always talk with the receptionist at most appointments, with other customers or employees wherever she went. She attended Sunday services, which always included many hellos and catching up with others.
Conversation and interaction are what we now refer to as “social engagement.” Since the onset of COVID-19, our patterns of natural social interaction have changed. People tend to go out less, converse less when out, and miss out on seeing others’ smiles and facial expressions, which is another way we all connect. Hopefully, as we continue to experience positive changes with the management of COVID, people will feel more comfortable being out in public and reconnecting. All of us need to work on making natural daily social engagement a regular part of our lives again.
Maybe you do not value a few sentences with a stranger in the grocery line, but for many, the interaction and brief conversation while out in the community may be the only interaction a person has that day. These small interactions are meaningful and an important part of staying healthy and strong.
If you already exercise, keep it up! Continue to build your strength, endurance and balance as you age. If this has been a challenge for you or someone you know, just try to move a little each day. The small daily movements will be beneficial in many ways. Consider smiling and sharing a minute of your time while in line or out and about. Your conversation may be a gift to others. And remember, moving and talking DOES make a difference.
Original Article: https://www.northeastohioboomer.com/blogger/moving-talking-does-make-a-difference/