Every day brings a new and exciting ache
What is your end game?
We know that our working lives are being extended all the time, with retirement ages seeming to move up, rather than down. You only need to look at the rising age at which you can draw your State Pension to confirm this. The reality is that time is ticking on, you might be starting to plan for what happens when the kids really have left, and the urge to work hard at the daily grind may wane. Some will deny this, and others would embrace the opportunity to stop work tomorrow...even this evening. There’s still the mortgage to repay and keeping fit to ensure you can make it to the winning line is a focus, to make sure you have time to enjoy yourself once you’ve finally stopped work.
Ageing parents may be a concern and that last house move or promotion may be a pressing objective. If you took the leap and set up your own business, the need to ‘make it happen’ never leaves.
So, what should you be thinking about for your health and wellbeing perhaps to ease any aches and pains now, but also to aid future mobility and fitness?
What does your end game look like and is there a health cost attached? The thought of spending 20+ years in retirement to some is horrendous, and some like the thought of part time work, both to subsidise income and to keep the grey cells stimulated.
How can physiotherapy help?
Knowing your own limits, taking time to stretch, keeping a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and managing stress levels will all contribute to maintaining a strong body and mind.
It is important that we approach our bodies in a holistic manner because as we age our reflexes slow down, which often increases our susceptibility to injury. In addition, we tend to heal more slowly and take longer to recover from both injury and illnesses. As a result of this, the older we become, the likelihood of injuries disappearing without intervention lessens. It is important that aches and pains are addressed quickly to avoid lingering issues that prevent regular exercise which in turn may stop stress levels and your weight being managed in a healthy, achievable way.
Exercise has been shown to boost your immune system (which plays a vital role in tissue healing), reduce cardiovascular disease and calm down an individual’s response to pain. Your physiotherapist can help guide you through the process of keeping moving at a safe pace, reducing your chance of injury or injury recurrence.
Contact Life Made Simple Physiotherapy
We hope the seventh in this series of age-related blogs is helpful as we progress through the remainder of 2021 and beyond. We hope you will see that thinking about your physiotherapy care is important and chatting through what you anticipate and expect is part of that process. Please do contact Life Made Simple Physiotherapy by email at Physio@lifemadesimple.co.uk , or by telephone on 07309 272 555 for your individual physiotherapy needs and care.