Mobility for Women 50+: What is it and Why do You Care?
In the world of exercise we often overlook some of the fundamentals because they seem boring or are so basic that we take them for granted.
Take mobility for example.
Exactly what is it and why should you care?
Most people don’t really know.
But this fundamental basic of life and longevity is profoundly important —especially if you are a woman over 50.
Adult women 50+ need to understand a little about mobility — what it is, why you should care about it, and why you should add it to your fitness regime.
Mobility Is Not the Same as Flexibility
One common misconception is that flexibility and mobility are the same thing.
Not so.
While they are closely related, and you need both, they are not the same thing. There are important differences between mobility and flexibility.
When most people think about flexibility, they think about someone who can touch their toes, or do the splits or wrap her leg around her neck in a yoga pose.
Doing those sorts of moves is flexibility.
Flexibility is a muscle’s ability to lengthen passively through a range of motion. It refers to the ability of connective tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) to elongate.
Keep in mind that while you can improve your flexibility over time, you cannot change how long your muscles actually are.
This is because muscles are attached to bone, and it is the function of a muscle to contract —not to stretch. Stretching is a passive process where the muscle is not making any effort of its own, it is simply responding to outside force (e.g., you reaching for your toes). Muscular contraction, on the other hand, is the muscle shortening—which requires muscular energy and effort.
In contrast to flexibility, mobility is a joint’s ability to move through a full range of motion. It can be seen as the active control of a joint.
Mobility requires strength and control because you are trying to move your muscles through a full range of motion—under control.
So, for example, while touching your toes is flexibility, doing a back squat and getting your hips below parallel, is mobility—because you are moving the hips through their entire range of motion.
Your Mobility —How You Move —Matters More for Women over 50
So, now that we understand what mobility is for women (and men) 50+, why do you care?
You care because research has shown that as we age, unless we do something to counteract it, our mobility decreases.
The National Council on Aging defines mobility as “the ability to move or walk freely and easily” and considers it to be “critical for functioning well and living independently.”
Decreases in mobility affect your ability to do simple, everyday tasks —like walking.
We’re not talking about climbing mountains or swinging from the rafters here.
Studies have shown that 59% of adults 60 and older and 75% of adults 80 or older, can’t perform simple tasks like walking or climbing stairs because of mobility limitations.
You care about maintaining and/or improving your mobility because older adults with mobility impairments are more prone to diseases, more likely to fall, more likely to be hospitalized, and are less likely to be able to live independently.
And, call me silly, but I believe that we all want to live well and live independently for as long as possible. So you need to care about your mobility.
By the way, care to make a wild guess as to what also contributes to a loss of mobility besides age?
Yup. It’s a lack of exercise.
Our sedentary lifestyles are literally making us sick (causing heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis) and causing us to lose our independence.
To Maintain Mobility, You Need to Move
Just a little bit of exercise —resistance training, walking, cardio etc. —can improve mobility and your life.
It can keep you healthy and keep you living independently for as long as possible.
Especially for those of us over 50, it is critical to add some mobility training to your exercise routine.
Mobility training helps you to get stronger, move better, and feel better.
Simple movements like hip circles, arm circles, or wall angels, can open up your joints and improve your range of motion.
In addition, mobility training can:
Improve your posture
Prevent injuries
Improve your balance
Improve your ability to reach and lift and perform everyday tasks
Reduce aches and pains
Build stronger joints and muscles
The key point here is that improving your mobility can improve your health overall and can improve your quality of life as you age.
And who wouldn’t want that?
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s Get Moving!
As a woman over 50, at Strength & Balance for Seniors, I help other women over 50 transform their lives and bodies one rep at a time. I work with clients one-on-one and provide the individualized attention you need to reach your fitness, health, and longevity goals. Shoot me an email here or connect with me over on Facebook at Strength & Balance for Seniors.