Physical independence is the ability to perform common everyday activities without additional assistance from adaptive equipment or the help of a caregiver.
Muscle strength, muscle mass and aerobic capacity all deteriorate during normal day to day living, this can reduce mobility and diminishes the quality of life. General stressor presents many challenges physically with very serious long-term effects. Anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal issues, memory loss, cardiac issues, risks for falls and respiratory conditions are all related to the general condition of the human body. These conditions can be the cause of many hospitalizations during our adulthood.
The concept of successful living has changed over the years with our life expectancy increasing. Some of the major components to maintaining independence in the later years is retaining strength, endurance, agility, and balance to continue to perform daily tasks such as climbing stairs, getting in and out of chairs, shopping and walking far enough to get to the car in the parking lot.
At ES Life Coach we can provide you with the tools used to measure the fitness of individuals who are in interested in an active lifestyle, measuring strength, endurance, agility, and dynamic balance.
Some of those measurement tools are:
- The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is used to measure the fitness levels in older adults. The activities include the following, Chair stand (no. of stands), Arm Curl (no. of reps), 6-Min Walk (no. of yds), 2-Min Step (no. of steps), Chair Sit & Reach (inches +/-), Back Scratch (inches +/-), 8-Ft Up-&-Go (seconds) — watch this SFT video
- The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is also used to determine the potential of survival rate, nursing home admittance, and disability risks by measuring Chair Stands, Balance Testing and 8’ Walk.
- The Composite Physical Function (CPF) scale has been used as a self-assessment tool to determine the research subjects physical ability to live independently.
The purpose of using these materials is to empower individuals to be able to function independently with confidence at increased age, predict potential challenges, and so one can communicate with their primary care provider to implement an exercise program that will prevent further unnecessary risks.
During the normal day to day activities, muscle mass and strength progressively deteriorate. This loss of muscle mass and loss of coordination is referred to as sarcopenia and is the natural result of the ageing process.
One can and should change the process of ageing. Gerontologists have a longstanding position that ageing successfully is through the prevention of disease, supporting quality of life and active engagement in life. All of which can be achieved through physical exercise. There are many positive studies that support the idea that one can age more successfully with the implementation of a few exercise routines.
Age-related disease comes from lifestyle choices and not necessarily the ageing process alone. Some individuals just believe that once a person reaches a certain age they are supposed to feel exhausted, sore, tired and have memory problems. They just buy into the idea that there is nothing they can do about it and go along with things as normal.
We do not believe that at ES Life Coach. We will provide opportunities to guide you to improve your physical function in the following ways:
- Vlog Post of Balance Exercises that you can Do at Home
- Blogs that contain information on Cutting Edge research for Improved Physical Function
- Personalized Programs to fit your Functional needs based on Your Current Diagnosis
- Exercise Programs developed by our Functional Aging Specialists
- The information you can bring to your Health Care Provider to inform them of your current functional limitations and/or areas of strength
- Individualized Long term Plans to avoid further physical challenges
- Empowering Stories and Highlights to motivate you to MOVE!