Submitted by Dr. Jenifer Penrose for Penrose Physical Therapy & Associates
Is your goal to stay healthy and active as long as possible? Do you want to continue to stay independent and doing the things you want to do? If so, then keep on reading. Though many people believe they will eventually become weak and dependent on others, if you’re looking for a way to avoid that path then read on. You want a way to take control of your aging journey and make better choices to maintain your health and fitness.
Maybe you’ve already seen this scenario play out with a parent, friends, or other family member. You’ve watched someone who was once vibrant and full of life begin to slow down as they got older. Now you’re determined not to let age slow you down. If this is you, you’re not alone. We hear these types of things all the time. In fact our Specialty Wellness Services are growing rapidly at Penrose Physical Therapy as more and more aging adults want to take an active role in their aging process.
One myth I want you to know is that it is never too late to work on strength and mobility. Aging does not mean you have to accept slowing down. If you are afraid of hurting yourself with starting an exercise routine than starting with experts that work with the 55+ population is a great way to start. We specialize in working with the 55+ crowd and understand that our each person is at a different place with mobility and strength. We also understand sometimes people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, MS, or cancer and the ability to continue life as usual is thrown a curve ball. We can still help you function better and get stronger than you currently are. There is always something that can be done. If you feel hopeless then you need to listen to this podcast by a patient who was living with chronic pain in multiple places who found we could help.
One thing we offer is a free full body fitness assessment. We test your cardio, upper body & lower body strength, core strength, posture, flexibility, and balance. Then we compare your scores with age matched peers and gender according to the literature/research studies. You will be given your scores and understand what areas you may need to pay attention to. This free assessment will also help determine if you should really start with physical therapy vs personal training or exercise classes. You can also take your scores to your doctor if you would like to share your scores with them. We point out what the literature finds if you pass a test like stair climbing. For example, if you can make it up 3 flights without stopping it decreases risk of heart related death by 63%.
Besides physical therapy we offer classes & personal training that specialize in working with people that have arthritis and osteoporosis. The personal training is a nice adjunct to fitness classes that you may already be attending at Jubilee. We can give you input on which ones would best suit you there based on your fitness assessment.
Did you know that between the age of 20 and 80 you can lose 40% of your strength?!
At the age of 20 we start to lose muscle mass but it really accelerates in our 60s. We also start to lose “elastin” in our tissues at the age of 20 (it allows us to be more flexible). The only way to combat these natural aging changes to our musculoskeletal system is to exercise. Strength training will build muscle and stretching will help us fight back against the natural loss of “elastin” that happens in our tissues.
If you know you need to exercise but you are worried about injuring yourself then starting with our free assessment is the perfect thing to do. If you want to make sure you are aging well and want to know what your scores with cardio, strength, posture, flexibility, balance would be with gender and age matched norms then this is perfect for you.
The author, Jennifer Penrose, is a Physical Therapist and owner of Penrose Physical Therapy located less than 5 miles from Jubilee. Visit the Penrose Physical Therapy website or 360.456.1444. We’ve been voted best of South Sound in 2023-2024. Dr. Penrose did write “Forever Young. You can age gracefully” and all her best tips are in there from head to toe!
The new episode of “Stay Healthy South Sound” – Dr. Penrose’s monthly podcast is on “anti-aging” and secrets to living young! On Itunes, Spotify, and Google play.
