I visited my dad shortly after he turned 88 years old. Like many do, he had expressed his desire to remain in his own home until he passes from this life. As a physical therapist, I knew there were certain things he would need to be able to do in order to fulfill that desire and as we were standing in front of his house one day, about to step up to the front door, he dropped his keys.
I could have easily bent down and picked them up, but instead I just stood there and watched. I wanted to see how he was going to solve this without help. After a few minutes he was able to pick up the keys.
Aging in place, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, refers to “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” For many seniors, this concept embodies the desire to remain in familiar surroundings throughout their golden years. Achieving this goal hinges on maintaining mobility and strength to perform daily tasks safely and independently.
4 Essential Movements for Aging in Place
Incorporating specific exercises into daily routines can significantly enhance mobility, strength, and overall safety at home. Here are four fundamental movements to focus on:
- Sit to Stand & Squatting
Something as seemingly simple as picking up your keys when you drop them can become overwhelming without the strength and mobility to support yourself. Utilize a chair or bench and practice going from standing to sitting and back again without using your hands. When you’re ready for a bigger challenge, practice going from standing to a squatting position and back again without a chair or bench. Add weight for an extra challenge.
- Navigating Steps/Stairs
Proficiency in climbing stairs is vital, especially in multi-level homes. Regularly practicing stair climbing can improve cardiovascular health and leg strength, contributing to better mobility and independence.
To ensure you maintain the leg strength you need to maneuver up a few steps or a flight of stairs, practice often! Hold onto a railing and step up onto and back down off of a step, alternating which leg leads.
My dad grew up with horses; he loved them. As the family gathered at the farm during that visit, I sat with my dad in the shade. He was watching his grandchildren and great grandchildren ride horses, smiling as the little ones enjoyed being lead around on horseback around the pasture. When he leaned over to me and said, “It’s my turn. Do you think you could get me up on the horse?” I smiled. Heck yeah!
I knew it would be hard and some would question my dad’s wisdom of getting up on a horse at his age. But my motto in life is to spend it living and doing the things you love. To get onto his horse he needed to be able to step up the pine pole fence, like climbing a step ladder. He did it! I planned to lead him around the pasture like we had done with the little ones, just to be safe, but as we started to walk around, my dad pulled the reins and said, “I’m not a kid you’re not leading me around.”
With that he rode off on his horse. As it ended up this was the last time he rode his horse. I am grateful he had the leg strength to step up the fence that day!
My dad knew he needed to keep moving to stay healthy and strong. During the Utah winters, getting the cardiovascular load he needed in order to stay active became much harder. He loved watching the Utah Athletics, the Jazz, boxing and good movies – particularly westerns. Cardio was boring to him but when we combined it with his passions, we had the solution. He purchased a recumbent exercise bike that did not take up much room and allowed him to get 20-30 minutes of cardio in while watching something he enjoyed.
Consider the things you love to do and find a way to match it to some form of cardiovascular conditioning. Equipment such as a treadmill or exercise bike does not need to be expensive or fancy to do the job.
- Push/Pull/Carry/Lift
To stay active and independent, strength training should mimic real-life movements.
A good program includes exercises that involve pushing, pulling, carrying, and lifting—just like you do when lifting and carrying grocery bags, using a screwdriver, pulling a garbage bin to the curb, pushing the snowblower, transferring laundry or simply opening and closing doors.
For years I have taught patients that to be successful with an exercise/movement program you need to keep three things in mind: what do you enjoy doing, who can you do it with (accountability), and how easy is it to access the activity. For my dad, boxing fit the bill. It kept him engaged and active for over a decade. He also used resistance bands to complement his workouts—an easy, effective way to maintain strength. The key is to find what works for you and stick with it.
- Balance & Functional Mobility
Life has a way of going sideways at times and so should we. Many everyday activities involve rotational and lateral movements—whether it’s kneeling to fix a sink, reaching to the side while seated, or stepping around obstacles. Maintaining balance and functional mobility is key. We don’t need to walk in circles, but I recommend walking (or dancing!) in figure-8s, side stepping and shifting weight forward, backward and side-to-side.
How to incorporate these movements into daily life
You don’t need a structured workout plan to stay active. Simple choices — like standing up from a chair without using your hands, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or practicing balance while brushing your teeth—can make a big difference. The key is consistency.
One of the gathering places in my parents’ home was the kitchen counter, which with seven siblings to accommodate, was about 12 feet long. One of mom’s exercises was to walk laps around the counter for five minutes one direction and then five the other direction. Then she would sidestep the length of the counter multiple times.
Be creative and use what you have in your home. Also, it’s easy to add balance work to any exercise by simply pausing to stand on one foot for few seconds at a time and increasing the time as you’re able.
Aging in place isn’t just about staying in your home — it’s about thriving in it. By prioritizing movement and strength, you can continue living life on your terms.
Everyday I express this statement to my patients: “You are a sum total of your life experiences and yours are different than mine. How can I help you stay active and meet your movement goals?”
When I repeated this to my dad for the millionth time, he said something I had never heard him express previously. As he was in the hospital, us not knowing what was happening with his health and why he had deconditioned so quickly, he said, “I guess I won’t ever make it to South Africa to go on the safari.”
I had never heard my dad express a desire to go on a safari. I shared this with my older brother, and he confirmed that 20-30 years earlier our dad had expressed the desire to go on safari.
Now here we were, his health failing, and his thoughts focused on the trip that might never happen. My response was what it is to others, and how I have tried to live my life — it is better to aim for the stars and miss than at nothing and miss. I told my dad that when he got out of the hospital he needed to choose to go to therapy, to get active and get moving and then go on a safari.
That is a story for another day, but here is one of my favorite photos of my dad fulfilling a lifelong dream, proving that movement matters, and it can help you achieve your goals.
Plan for Independence: Stay Strong, Stay Mobile, Stay Home
Aging in place requires planning, ensuring that as you grow older you’re able to take care of yourself and have the resources in place to support you before it becomes urgent and life changing.
As physical therapists, we are dedicated to helping you maintain your strength and mobility to optimize your ability to stay in your home and enjoy the things you love. We look forward to being part of your healthcare team.
