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Or to look at it from a different angle, their fall is caused by their old age decline which in turn triggers their terminal decline. I've seen it throughout my

Or to look at it from a different angle, their fall is caused by their old age decline which in turn triggers their terminal decline. I've seen it throughout my family, once confined to bed at old age one's decline accelerates quickly. It's perhaps that the lack of movement that has some spiraling effect on their health. More and more people should not stop doing sports when they get older, they should do sports less vigorously as they age but movement regime should stay.

tzs 7y ago
I wonder how much of this depends on how big a change there is in movement? Would a lifelong couch potato for whom their post fall movement is only a few percent less than what it was before the fall be less affected than someone who had been very active before their fall and had to cut their movement by 95%?
- tartoran 7y ago
  Yes, good point. On the other hand I wonder if there is any person who aged well who had been a couch potato their whole life. I've seen very old people who were no longer very active but had been very active throughout their life. They still had some light and slow walks on a daily basis !! Movement helps with digestion is something I learned from firsthand experience. Due to a broken leg I was confined to a bed for nearly 2 months and remember bowel movements were extremely affected. Movement helps with arthritis, helps the brain, helps the bones. Also, the lymph system requires breathing and movement from the body's muscles to help move fluids and remove waste from the body.
- JackFr 7y ago
  My mother who is 83 works out with a trainer who focuses on the elderly 3 times a week. All they do is stretching and balance exercises. To paraphrase her, at this age not falling is far more important then 45 minutes on the exercise bike.
  - tartoran 7y ago
    Yes, mobility and balance are sometimes overlooked with the regular bike exercises. Simply walking provides both if done properly (on a treadmill is not exactly the same thing for balance but better than none). I sometimes see some elders hiking and wish to be just like that at their age.
- lr4444lr 7y ago
  From what I've seen in the elderly, yes. It's just just the inactivity, but also the positioning. I suspect your lungs don't drain the same way, more of your body is subject to contact pressure for longer periods, and how blood flow works against gravity changes.
duderific 7y ago
Sports would be great, but simply getting out for a walk every day makes a huge difference.

tzs 7y ago

I wonder how much of this depends on how big a change there is in movement? Would a lifelong couch potato for whom their post fall movement is only a few percent less than what it was before the fall be less affected than someone who had been very active before their fall and had to cut their movement by 95%?

tartoran 7y ago
Yes, good point. On the other hand I wonder if there is any person who aged well who had been a couch potato their whole life. I've seen very old people who were no longer very active but had been very active throughout their life. They still had some light and slow walks on a daily basis !! Movement helps with digestion is something I learned from firsthand experience. Due to a broken leg I was confined to a bed for nearly 2 months and remember bowel movements were extremely affected. Movement helps with arthritis, helps the brain, helps the bones. Also, the lymph system requires breathing and movement from the body's muscles to help move fluids and remove waste from the body.
JackFr 7y ago
My mother who is 83 works out with a trainer who focuses on the elderly 3 times a week. All they do is stretching and balance exercises. To paraphrase her, at this age not falling is far more important then 45 minutes on the exercise bike.
- tartoran 7y ago
  Yes, mobility and balance are sometimes overlooked with the regular bike exercises. Simply walking provides both if done properly (on a treadmill is not exactly the same thing for balance but better than none). I sometimes see some elders hiking and wish to be just like that at their age.
lr4444lr 7y ago
From what I've seen in the elderly, yes. It's just just the inactivity, but also the positioning. I suspect your lungs don't drain the same way, more of your body is subject to contact pressure for longer periods, and how blood flow works against gravity changes.

duderific 7y ago

Sports would be great, but simply getting out for a walk every day makes a huge difference.