New Year’s Goals
Yes, it’s that time of year. We all start the year with new year’s goals, new drive, new objectives, for a NEW, better, improved you! We know the gyms will be full of well-intended people but come mid-February, you may hear an echo if you call out to someone. You’ve seen it all before. Year after year. We know after the holidays our bodies need recovery so we go about creating new year’s goals, some achievable and some not.
Not this gym
But we got to thinking. Our mobility is the most important thing we have in our health. Many factors may play into our mobility but we want to stay independent and mobile as long as we can in life. With the advent of many orthopedic procedures, even if we abused ourselves early on, we are still able to remain relatively mobile with knee replacements, hip replacements, and others.
What kind of things could you do this year to keep yourself mobile? It may be easier than trying to maintain time to go to a gym.
Here’s some suggestions we came up with:
- Regular Stretching – learn about how you can stretch to target all major muscle groups. This may include forgotten areas such as ankles, legs, hips, back, chest, and even neck and shoulders.
- Exercising that Strengthen – this would include muscles that support joints such as knees, hips.
Stretching of Any Form
- Suggestions here would be squats, lunges, and planks. All of these are only if you are able.
- Take breaks often from sitting. Sitting causes tight and stiff muscles so when you do stand and move you may experience a lack of mobility.
- One other thing you can definitely do at home is foam rolling. Buy a roller to use for self-myofascial release. The result from this activity is to release tension and trigger points for improved blood flow and greater mobility.
- Staying hydrated. This goes without saying. it is important to keep your joints lubricated which will deter stiffness. Drink water throughout the day, not all at once.
Walking
- Walking or try low-impact activities like swimming or cycling to keep mobile. Moving keeps you mobile
- Try Yoga or Pilates. You can watch classes on video or tv without leaving your home!
And some other suggestions for your New Year’s Goals:
- Get massage or chiropractic care. These can relieve tension and ensure proper alignment of your spine. These help mobility too.
- R&R – be sure to rest and allow for recovery of any intense workouts or if you haven’t been regularly practicing these mobility options.
- Lastly, we want to add this. Seek professional input to ensure you start correctly and do right by your body and your possible limitations. If you have limitations with mobility, be sure to consult with a physical therapist or sports medicine professional first. You would want to ensure you do right by yourself and not cause any injury to yourself. They can assess your specific situation and get you on the right path to better, and continued mobility. Mobility and Health
As always, remember get on a plan and be consistent. Consistency is King! Set new year’s goals you can keep and then as you are ready, increase repetitions or frequency, and duration. You want this to be long-term, not like those gym memberships.
We are here to help those who are home bound due to surgery, illness, or hospice. Please call or refer your family and friends our way. We love helping! https://transitioncaretelemetry.com