08 Jul Stay Active While Aging – Build daily habits now to protect your independence later: from 11/15/2025
Hello!
One of the most important prevention strategies we have is daily movement. Not intense workouts, not complicated routines, just consistent activity you can safely repeat every day.
Too many people wait until after an injury, fall or hospital stay to start exercising. But by then, they are trying to rebuild strength they could have protected all along.
The truth is: The best time to start moving – building muscle, challenging your balance – is before you need to. This gives your body a buffer after injury so that you still have strength to move after injury. This challenges your body and improves your strength and balance so that you can perform daily tasks easier, independently, without injury or fall.
When you build walking, stretching, and simple strengthening exercises into your routine now, you create a foundation that helps you stay at home longer, move with more confidence, and handle everyday tasks with less effort.
WHY IT MATTERS
As we get older, movement becomes more about preserving function. Getting out of a chair, climbing stairs, dressing and bathing, reaching overhead to put dishes away, lifting grandkids, carrying groceries, getting in and out of the car, etc. Exercise is a way to stay independent.
HOW TO BUILD ACTIVITY INTO YOUR DAY
Begin a walking routine. Start where you are, with what you can tolerate – 5 min, the mailbox, a lap around the house – and build gradually. Increase difficulty when you can consistently walk a distance and maintain conversation, without severe pain. Progress by increasing time, distance, terrain, practice multi-tasking to keep your mind sharp (by talking with a friend, reciting multiplication tables or geography, maybe colors or grandkids names and ages, recalling what you ate yesterday for meals, etc.). Wear appropriate shoes, supportive with a firm and no-slip sole and a good heal counter. Listen to your body and watch for signs such as increased HR >60 % of your max heart rate, increased respiratory rate, or dizziness. Use an assistive device if needed and walk with a buddy, safety is your main goal!
Look into local programs. SilverSneakers, community centers, church wellness groups, and online classes all offer safe, guided movement options.
Talk with a coach or movement professional. A physical therapist, personal trainer, or mobility specialist – like My Rehab Answers – can help tailor and progress a plan that fits your needs, medical history, and home setup.
Start slow and add movement everyday to build the habit. No need for an hour-long gym sweat session. Add activity to your day. Maybe that’s an extra walk to the mailbox after you already got the mail, maybe it’s 2-3 sit -to-stands from your chair before you continue walking, maybe it’s mini-squats while getting the laundry out of the dryer, or heel raises at the kitchen counter while cooking dinner.
FOUNDATIONAL EXERCISES THAT SUPPORT EVERYDAY FUNCTION
Sit – to – Stands. Supports quad and glut strength, core stability. Helps with getting out of chairs, off toilets, in / out of cars, and stair climbing. Stand up and sit down, 5-10 times in a row from a stable chair, using arm rests if needed. Increase difficulty by picking a chair with a lower seat height, placing hands on thighs or crossed over chest, feet closer together, or staggered stance.
Heel Raises. Supports calf strengthening, ankle stability. Helps with balance, walking, posture, and climbing stairs. Stand at kitchen counter (or other stabile object for balance), feet slightly apart, keep knees straight, and lift heels off ground, lifting your whole body up, lower with control. Perform x 10 reps, working up to 3 sets. Increase difficulty by changing support (moving from supported to 1 hand to fingertip to no support), single leg raise, or adding weight (holding dumbbells or soup cans, placing weighted object on shoulders, wearing a weighted vest).
Marching. Supports hip flexor strength. Helps with balance, walking, foot clearance. Standing at kitchen counter (or other stable support for balance), alternate slowly lifting right then left knee up to hip height x 10 reps. Progress to 3 sets. Increase difficulty by changing support (as above) or adding weight (ankle weights).
Arm raises. Support shoulder strength and mobility, thoracic extension. Helps with dressing, bathing, household tasks that require reaching overhead, posture. Stand or sit, lift arms overhead, try to keep shoulders and shoulder blades down, keep upper back straight or slightly extended, x 10 reps. Increase difficulty by changing support or adding weight (dumbbells / soup cans / etc).
Core Bracing. Supports abdominals, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and lower back muscles. Helps with getting in and out of bed, getting out of chairs, balance, breathing, continence, posture, and preventing back pain. Sit tall, unsupported if able, breath into your belly, and as you breath out, gently tighten your belly, hold for 5 seconds while breathing normally. x 3 reps. Take this skill to eveyday tasks, brace while picking up grandkids, climbing stairs, getting out of bed, etc. Increase difficulty by holding belly in while holding arms straight out, then add weight or movement.
START BUILDING YOUR ROUTINE BEFORE SOMETHING FORCES YOU TO
A few minutes of intentional exercise per day can help you move better and prevent falls.
Dr. Leslie Erwin, PT, CSRS
Owner | Mobility & Independence Coach
My Rehab Answers, LLC
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