In retirement, it continues to remain important to stay as active as when you were working, or even more so, in order to stay strong, flexible and mobile. In fact, our retirement, when we hopefully have more time to choose how we spend our time, is a great opportunity to build more activity into our lives.
Not keeping active takes its toll
If a risk of exercising and injuring yourself puts you off exercise, think about the potential risks of not maintaining an active lifestyle. These include:
- Increased chance of falls
- Risk of osteoporosis
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Increasingly limited joint mobility
- Poorer mental health
- Lack of confidence and increased isolation
What a difference being active makes
Being able to continue doing what you can today, or indeed doing more, means maintaining a good level of health. Keeping active is one of the best ways to do this, with both physical and mental benefits, such as:
- Maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of diabetes
- Keeping strong bones and muscles to help prevent osteoporosis
- Managing back pain
- Keeping flexible to prevent joint stiffness and soreness
- Lowering blood pressure
- Fighting anxiety and depression
- Reducing isolation
- Getting better sleep
No need to move into the gym!
The call to action here is not to spend hours down at the gym. The secret to developing and keeping an active lifestyle is little and often, doing the things you enjoy. Exercise is allowed to be fun and you’ll be more successful at maintaining an active lifestyle if it is. Get creative and think about mixing your exercise. Why not try:
- Walking to increase your heart rate
- Taking up a sport such as swimming, tennis, golf
- Going for a bike ride
- Mowing the lawn and enjoying gardening jobs
- Starting a new class – Pilates, yoga, dance, etc.
How physio can help you get started
If you haven’t exercised, or feel it’s a big leap to take, don’t be put off, you can build up gradually. The important thing is to just start. Our practice at Petersfield Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic supports retired clients to help them maintain an active life or to start being more active. We can provide an initial assessment followed by guided exercises designed to get you started you on your journey, for example:
- Exercises to promote strong bones and muscle strength
- Exercises to improve balance and prevent falls
- Restoration of mobility
- The management of existing physical conditions or those that may develop
- Building aerobic ability.
We also offer general advice on what you can do to make yours a more healthy life.
Petersfield Physio in Hampshire and Surrey
At Petersfield Physio we are here to support our clients every step of the way, even when they find it hard to commit to their exercises.
If you are retired and would like support to lead a more active life or a pain free life, and you live in the Hampshire or Surrey areas, contact the Petersfield Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic or ring 01730 267645. We’re here to advise, guide and support you. After all, it’s a joint process.
Recent Comments