How Physical Therapy Helps Retirees Keep Dreams Alive During the Golden Years
Are you among the millions of Americans who have high aspirations for how you’ll spend the extra time during your post-retirement years? Whether you plan to travel the world, pick up fly fishing, spend more time woodworking or sign up for a golf league, your physical fitness level will be a factor.
A 2010 study suggests that the fitness declines we typically attribute to advancing age are largely caused by living sedentary lifestyles—which are on the rise due to the prominence of desk jobs in the workplace and activity-limiting personal technologies including smart phones and voice-activated remote controls in the home. Still, this runs contrary to the widely held belief that any declines in our physical abilities are caused solely by biological aging. Do we really have control over how active we’ll be in our “golden years”?
In a word, absolutely. The study—which examined 900,000 running times of marathon and half-marathon participants aged 20 to 79—found no significant age-related performance declines in those younger than 55 years old, and only moderate declines among the older cohorts. In fact, more than one-quarter of runners aged 65 to 69 were faster than half of the runners aged 20 to 54.
And for those thinking that these runners must have been lifelong enthusiasts of the sport, the study revealed that 25% of runners aged 50 to 69 were relative newcomers—and had started marathon training within the previous 5 years. The researchers concluded that even at an advanced age, people in the “non-athlete” category who engage in regular training can reach high performance levels.
If this revelation is intriguing, then perhaps it’s time for you to get moving! If you aren’t currently active, then you likely have questions and concerns about where to start. And if you regularly engage in physical activities, then you’ve probably set goals that you’d like to achieve. Either way, there’s no shortage of tools and resources to help you live a more active lifestyle but one reliable place to start is with a physical therapist.
The benefits of beginning with a physical therapist consultation are many: PTs are trained to assess your abilities and limitations, consider your health concerns, demonstrate safe exercises and build a plan to increase strength, function and mobility. Whatever your passion is, physical therapy will help you be fit and injury-free so you may enjoy life’s many pursuits.
"After a three-car rear end accident, I had a concussion and severe whiplash. I picked A2 to help me recover. I will have to honestly say A2's expertise and therapists along with all the other staff, have been the "silver lining". They are very knowledgable and take the time to explain what they are doing. and why they are doing it. They are extremely friendly, thoughtful, and maintain flexible hours. I have followed the home exercises regularly and have seen steady improvement. This is very important as I am a small business owner with a physically demanding job. A2 has it all! Fantastic physical therapists, massage therapist, and personal fitness trainers, all under one roof. Alika is a visionary and A2 is the hidden jewel of PT, but not for long."
− Danielle
"Working with Kristi has been an amazing and rewarding experience. I started with the goal to lose weight and gain strength and after a few months she has helped me to understand what it means to live a healthy and well-rounded life. She not only provides motivation in the gym, but she is a great support system emotionally. She knows her stuff when it relates to exercises and the body. I appreciate how she brings variety to our workouts while also keeping us safe. If I could I would workout with Kristi multiple times per week."
− Sammy
"I never thought I’d love PT, but now I do! I’m so appreciative that my first Pt experience has been with the most attentive and patient people possible. I’m thrilled the progress I’ve made and feel confident in my ability to continue improving at home. A huge thanks to the entire A2 team for being so welcoming and understanding. I truly can’t offer any recommendations, as you guys have a great thing going. (except for maybe more fruit infused water. Thanks again!"
− K. Paulson