Healthy Aging with Physical Therapy
Aging is a natural process, but how we age can greatly impact our overall quality of life. Healthy aging is about thriving, not just surviving, and physical therapy can play a pivotal role in achieving optimal physical and mental health as we age.
To offer a better understanding of why physical therapy is so important for healthy aging, the physical therapists at Capital Area Physical Therapy explain how the aging process affects our bodies, and outline some of the benefits that physical therapy can provide.
Common Age-Related Changes
As we age, it’s normal to experience changes in muscle strength, flexibility and balance. If left unchecked, these changes can make it difficult to take care of ourselves and do the things we enjoy.
- Muscle Loss – Starting around age 30, we lose 3-5% of our muscle mass per decade. This loss of muscle is known as sarcopenia, and it accelerates after age 60.
- Stiffness – As we age, our joint cartilage thins, we experience a decrease in lubricating fluid, and our ligaments and tendons can lose elasticity, making it harder to move.
- Balance Issues – Loss of muscle in the legs and core, coupled with joint stiffness and other age-related changes, can alter our gait and impair our balance and stability.
- Chronic Pain – Musculoskeletal issues, like osteoarthritis, nerve damage and back problems, can cause chronic pain and significantly impact quality of life.
How Physical Therapy Promotes Healthy Aging
Our physical therapists create personalized exercise and treatment programs designed to address these age-related changes and keep you strong, active and independent.
- Improved Strength & Endurance – Strength training and conditioning exercises help to build and maintain muscle mass, while also improving cardiovascular health.
- More Range of Motion – Customized stretches help to loosen tight muscles, lengthen connective tissues, and reduce stiffness in joints for easier, less painful movement.
- Better Balance – Specialized core strengthening and balance exercises significantly improve stability and reduce the risk of falls, while improving posture and gait.
- Reduced Pain – Hands-on manual therapy and massage, electrical stimulation, and hot and cold modalities, can help manage age-related chronic pain.
Physical Therapy for Healthy Aging in Saratoga, Malta, Delmar & Queensbury
Staying active is vital for healthy aging, yet many seniors aren’t meeting physical activity guidelines because they don’t know where or how to begin. That’s where physical therapy can help. Our physical therapists not only provide you with guided exercises, stretches and treatments designed for an aging body, we empower you to take an active role in your own health.
To schedule a healthy aging physical therapy appointment in Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Malta or Delmar, call Capital Area Physical Therapy at (518) 289-5242.