How Physical Therapy Can Help You Maintain Mobility and Strength as You Age
Who can benefit from physical therapy?
Most people think about physical therapy after they’ve hurt themselves. Think again. This specialized type of health care can function as a preventive strategy to reduce injuries, functional decline, and physical disability.
As you age, it’s common to lose your strength, flexibility, and balance. These changes put you at risk of several complications, including:
- Falls
- Infections
- Lost strength
- Reduced stamina
- Increased pain As a result, you can lose your independence and self-confidence. While many experts prescribe physical therapy as a way to manage injuries or conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease, starting today can help preserve your health and mobility.
The secret to physical fitness
When it comes to optimal fitness, regardless of age, it’s crucial to focus on five key areas:
- Flexibility
- Endurance
- Posture
- Balance
- Strength That’s what sets physical therapy apart from other exercise plans. At Tula, our experts take time to assess your individual needs before developing a personalized and holistic approach to keeping you in optimal health. We also customize your exercise program to you, depending on your overall health and fitness levels. By following our guidelines, physical therapy can help safely restore or improve your strength, flexibility, range of motion, and endurance. It also improves your coordination, which can reduce your chances of falling.
Additional benefits of physical therapy
Physical therapy not only preserves your overall wellness, but it can also help manage existing conditions. To slow the progression of age-related issues, we might also recommend other techniques as part of your healthy aging program, such as:
- Massage therapy: To increase relaxation, reduce pain, or provide flexibility
- Yoga therapy: To build strength, improve flexibility and balance, and increase relation
- Pilates: To strengthen your core, improve alignment, and flexibility
- Feldenkrais: To alleviate pain and improve balance
Don’t wait for an injury or reduced mobility before you start to benefit from physical therapy; begin your personalized preventive program today. Contact Tula. Either call us at 212-604-1316 for an in-person or telehealth appointment or schedule online.
