How good mobility can keep you healthy after 30, and the best exercises to help you

As people age, it is not uncommon for many to let out a muted groan when getting out of bed in the morning.\nBut if you “oof” every time you get in a car or “aargh” while bending over to pick up something, it may be time to prioritise exercises that target your mobility.\nDr Miho Tanaka, a sports medicine surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the US, said good mobility is recognised as an important part of overall health. She pointed to research showing that high mobility has long-term effects in reducing rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression.\n“It’s not just about how you look and how your level of fitness is at any given point,” Tanaka said. “For anyone who wants to stay active later in life, there has to be a deliberate process of maintaining that level of activity by doing mobility exercises.”\nMobility equals strength plus flexibility\nMobility and flexibility are often confused, said Jessica Valant, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor near Denver, in the US state of Colorado.\nFlexibility is simply the extent to which a muscle can lengthen, whereas mobility involves using muscle strength to interact with a network of joints, tendons, ligaments and synovial fluid, which lubricates and nourishes joints.\n\nThat network around the shoulders, spine, hips, pelvis and knees needs to work well together, otherwise it becomes difficult to reach things in high cabinets, squat down to tie your shoes or lift your grandchildren, let alone take part in outdoor activities or sports.\nMobility exercises strengthen your muscles while increasing your range of motion, which allows you to be more functional with age, Valant said.\n“Motion is lotion, which is a saying we use in physical therapy all the time,” she said.\nTwo early warning signs\nStarting from about 30 years old, muscles and tendons start to lose collagen, Tanaka said. That is the same substance that in hair and skin relates to going grey and getting wrinkles.\nWithout regular exercise, weaker muscles put extra pressure on joints, she said. Even active people lose muscle in areas that are overlooked at the gym, such as the rotator cuff around the shoulder and postural muscles that support the spine and neck.\n\nTanaka said two early warning signs likely point to the need for mobility training.\nThe first is aching joints and muscle stiffness without first exerting a lot of effort. Back soreness after a long day of sitting at a desk could signal limited hip or pelvic mobility, she said. Aching knees after being on your feet all day may be a sign of weak quadriceps.\nThe second sign is more acute pain, such as when you do not get injured but you still experience swollen or painful joints for several days after taking part in a sport like basketball or skiing for the first time in a while.\nShe cautioned against following a recent social media challenge to test mobility by standing up from a seated position on the floor without using your hands.\n“I’ve seen some injuries from that, so I definitely don’t recommend that,” she said.\n\n\nInstead, try sitting in a chair and standing up without putting your hands on the chair arms. Next, try to stand on one foot. If you can do both, that is a good sign.\nTai chi and yoga are also both great for mobility training, she said.\nOther recommended exercises\nDr Corey Simon, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, urged people to prioritise mobility before they experience pain in their joints or difficulty moving around.\n“You don’t have to have a gym to do this,” Simon said.\n\nHe suggested working body weight exercises into your day. That could include setting an hourly timer to get up and walk around the house. When you return to your desk, add chair sits to work the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes. Assuming your balance is OK, doing push-ups against a wall or a countertop helps to mobilise the shoulders.\nOnce those exercises become easy, add exercise bands to build strength.\nValant said that people who are sedentary should simply start walking every day.\n“It’s the lowest barrier to entry,” she said.\nBeyond that, she suggests adding 10 minutes of mobility training to whatever exercise you are doing. She shows short mobility routines on her YouTube channel targeting the hips, spine and full body.\nSome basic hip movements include lying on your side and lifting your top leg; lying on your back and squeezing your knees to your chest; and sitting up with your feet together, lowering your knees towards the floor.\nFor the spine, try the cat-cow stretch, arching and curving your back with hands and knees on the floor. Or sit in a chair with feet on the floor, twisting your shoulders to both sides.\n“This isn’t something that changes in five days, but I tell people, give it four weeks,” she said. “You will see results over time.”\n