Loss of one’s mobility is often an inevitable reality of aging. As we grow older, we may experience changes in our mobility, or our body’s ability to freely and easily move around. Mobility issues can affect the small to strenuous day-to-day activities that we often take for granted. Mobility impairments can appear as unsteadiness while walking, trouble getting in and out of a chair, or being prone to falls. These challenges may significantly impact our ability to complete everyday tasks and participate actively in our community.
Symptoms of limited mobility may include:
- Limited range of motion
- Pain, stiffness, or swelling of the joints
- Muscle weakness or fatigue
- Unsteadiness or difficulty balancing
- Pain during movement
Mobility is critical for functioning well and living independently. People who lose their mobility are less likely to remain living at home; have higher rates of disease, disability, hospitalization, and early death. Loss of mobility can also impact confidence, social and emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.
Paying attention to changes in your mobility and developing a plan to maximize your body’s range of motion are key elements of healthy aging. Though we know that mobility commonly decreases as we age, there are also chronic illnesses and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease that can greatly impact how we move.
It’s important to discuss with your primary healthcare provider steps you can take to improve and maintain your mobility. This will often include a carefully structured physical activity program. A medical professional can help modify this plan to your specific mobility goals and health status. Taking this step will not only keep you moving but will also help maintain your independence and sense of well-being.
The Challenges of Limited Mobility
Mobility issues frequently show up in subtle ways, such as a slight stiffness here or a twinge there. However, they can lead to bigger problems and increase the likelihood of a serious incident, which might involve a fall.
Falls often result in bruises, broken bones, and fear of falling. Older bones tend to be more frail, break more easily, and heal slower. A serious injury from a fall can result in hospitalization and permanent use of a walking aid. Because of this, fall prevention is essential to maintaining quality of life.
Following hospitalization or falls, older persons frequently lose their physical function. Activities of daily living (ADLs), including eating, dressing, bathing, and using the restroom without assistance, can be challenging for those who have lost physical function. Loss of mobility can also impact social activities resulting in loneliness and isolation. This can be due to various factors, including physical and health-related limitations and problems obtaining transportation for those with special needs.
Conditions That Affect Mobility:
Impairments in cognition and mobility often go hand-in-hand, and impairment in one often accompanies impairment in the other. According to one study from the National Institutes of Health, older adults with cognitive impairment tend to perform worse on mobility tests and to report higher levels of disability than those without cognitive impairments. Dementia, which is a more severe decline in cognitive function that significantly impacts daily life, is also likely to have a big physical impact on the person in the later stages of the condition. These mobility problems can be caused by:
- dementia
- medication
- other medical conditions (for example strokes)
- sight loss
- balance problems
- an uncomfortable environment
While people living with Alzheimer’s disease experience greater declines in mobility compared to people without cognitive impairments, researchers have found that non-AD dementia may lead to an even greater decline. This steep decline in mobility was particularly noted in study participants with vascular dementia, showing the unique impacts this disease has on a person’s ability to move.
Movement disorders, which are a group of nervous system conditions that affect movement, also impact a person’s ability to complete ADLs. Parkinson’s disease is one of the most recognizable of these movement disorders.
In Part Two…
Even for people in good health, a lack of physical activity and exercise increases the likelihood of losing mobility as they age. Developing and executing a plan to maintain your body’s ability to move has numerous positive effects on your physical, emotional, and cognitive health.
Even those with limited mobility can enjoy the benefits of moderate exercise. While some injuries or mobility impairments warrant rest, most simply require you to reevaluate your exercise routine with help from a medical professional. There are still plenty of ways you can use exercise to strengthen your body, boost your mood, relieve stress and anxiety, enhance your self-esteem, and improve your outlook on life.
In “Aging and Mobility: Part Two,” we will discuss how physical activity can help address mobility issues, as well as specific exercises designed for people with limited mobility.
Sources: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Society, Harvard Medical School, and HealthInAging.org
