The Tribune

By Dr Lakeisha Pinder

Geriatric Hospital

The body achieves what the mind believes. Everyone can benefit from physical activity and exercise. One of the healthiest things you can do for yourself is be physically active on a regular basis. Mobility also promotes healthy aging. Physical activity does not have to be strenuous to achieve health benefits. It has been shown in numerous studies that older adults can gain many health benefits by staying physically active.

Benefits of physical activity include: helping maintain the ability to live independent and reducing the risk of falling and fracturing bones; helping to maintain healthy muscles, bones and joints and also helping to control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Other benefits include reducing the risk of dying from colon cancer, diabetes, coronary heart disease and also helping to reduce blood pressure in some people with hypertension. Physical activity can also reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression and promotes improvements in mood and feelings of well-being.

There are so many benefits of mobility in the older population.

“Use it or lose it” is definitely true for mobility in the aging population. Being physically active can help you stay strong enough to keep doing the things that you like to do as you get older. It is important to make exercise a regular part of your life to improve your health and help you maintain your independence as you age.