Look After Your Legs

DM moved house in her late 70s. She has a friend who is a retired GP who said to her "whatever you do, have some stairs or you'll get bungalow legs" - meaning, that amongst her older patients, a lot of more minor conditions are aggravated by the reduced mobility opportunities of moving to a bungalow.

I once heard a physio talking on the radio, who had worked with a retired darts player. One of the famous ones, who'd got absolutely massive (physically) and was living downstairs in his house , using a commode and sleeping in his chair. For the first 3 months, his exercises were to get out of his chair 6 times a day. When he could do that, he built up to 12 times a day. When his leg muscules were a but stronger they started on stairs, first with a step aerobic step, then finally, after a year, this bloke could get upstairs again.

Look after your legs! Keep them strong and agile! They are what keep you moving even when you don't want to go very far..

(dm bought a terraced house with three flights of stars and a Labrador. She's pretty fit for her 80s).

Your back is more important than your legs. Unfortunately, I've had a bad back for the last 8 years and I'm still only 43. It's caused by worn out discs rather than anything muscular. I have hyper mobility though so o think that's made it more vulnerable.

I walk 10k steps a day with my dogs, take vitamin D and calcium supplements, and eat a lot of leafy green veg (am vegetarian). We all lead far too sedentary lives these days, and dread what old age will do to a generation of people who sit in front of screens all day.

I worked in elderly care, and muscle wastage occurs very rapidly when someone becomes immobile - hence when I had Covid, I got out of bed every couple of hours and kept walking around even though I felt like death warmed up. I'm 53.

Crikey - I can't get up off the floor without using an object eg chair, kitchen bench etc.

I made a right show of myself a little while ago when I squatted down to see the price of something on a supermarket shelf, and the couldn't get up. I had to ask a couple walking past to help me. They each crooked and arm under one of mine and heaved me to my feet.

We all laughed about it, but I did feel a lemon.

I'm 40 and have regularly done Body Pump for the last year, with a strategic eye on being a 60 year old who has done weight bearing exercise for 20 years.
I've always been a runner, walker, hiker, gym goer and cyclist, but the weights is new.
This is because I've watched my mum literally wilt in front of my eyes having sustained a relatively minor foot injury, after a lifetime of no exercise. She sat in a chair for a year and watched TV to recover and now has zero muscle or physical resilience.

I was going to say this as well.

based on this programme i have started doing some floor exercises (sit ups, squats, lunges an d the plank) each morning. I only started about a week ago (and I am currently only doing 10 of each but planning to build up) but have already discovered that my back feels stronger (I have a degenerative disc condition).

I would agree with keeping the legs strong and also the glutes as they are important for mobility. I do a strength after breast cancer exercise classes and the instructor has us doing lots of exercises to strengthen the glutes and I've noticed a difference.
I would also recommend taking care of the skin of your legs, keep them moisture especially post menopause.

No I think she meant quite the opposite, use them as much as you can. Weight bearing exercise is good for you.

I mentioned on another thread but a diary of a ceo podcast with dr andy galpin talked about aging and exercise and is worth a listen. Exercise the muscles that will help you get on and off the toilet so you can do this yourself when old ditto the sofa. Not being able to get up means less going out isolation and less socialising higher risk then of cognitive decline. Do new things for the brain, doing a crossword every day is good but your brain gets used to it.

he suggested that the thing that uses a lot of brain power is using a muscle as it takes a lot to say lift your arm even though we do it without, we think ,thinking about it.

i work in nursing, another piece of advice is to wear compressions stockings. I look after many people with leg ulcers and I do not want that for myself so as well as all the other advice given here I also wear a compression stocking.

i have had placements on hospital wards and we do no let older people lie in bed, physios are round every day working with people, we encourage them to get up and get moving and dressed, you’d be surprised by the amount of people who really take on the sick patient role and want to stay in bed for the duration of their time with us and this then leads to mobility issues

I came on to recommend Will Harlow on YT, but someone has beaten me to it. His explanations are really clear and thorough. I am currently focusing on knee exercises and building up quad strength and can see an improvement after only a few weeks. Also Caroline Jordan on YT is good (though a bit too enthusiastic and cheesy!).

Just going through this with my elderly parent. Here's what the physio has recommended:
Sit to stand (and back) with no hands x 10
Marching, knees high, holding on for balance if needed x 30 seconds
Walking like a pigeon, heel to toe, as straight as possible x 30 seconds

Twice a day, increase reps as it gets easier. Also balancing on one leg.

As a leg ulcer nurse I recommend light 'class 1' support socks (flight socks) as people get older. Compression improves circulation, reduces swelling and helps supports / helps prevent varicose veins. As well as exercise! There's a great website called legs matter with loads of information. There really needs to be a general health campaign for leg care as it's very a overlooked area.

Check out the Knees Over Toes Guy on instagram-

www.instagram.com/kneesovertoesguy?igsh=MWJoZnJ6dHhvcmdoZg==

He has a bunch of really accessible strength and mobility exercises.

As an 'elderly' person - although I deny that as I am trying to keep going to 90 - it is vitally important to keep mobile and active for as long as you can. At 77 my balance is not the best - can manage about 60 seconds on one leg - but I do have arthritus in hips and knees. Stretching exercises are good

I walk the dog at a reasonably fast pace for an hour a day - live on my own and do gardening and housework - albeit it takes longer. Always keep an eye on feet and avoid weight gain (I am 9 stone and my bmi is fine).

I have seen younger people than me struggle with what I do but I have always walked and kept active and I cannot imagine being immobile or unable to get out of a chair.

Exercises for older people are readily available - it does not need to be overdone which can cause more problems.

@NoisySnail have you got or can you get any physio advice for your back? It sounds as though that's your main obstacle to maintaining strength and flexibility into old age

Look on YouTube for videos by Will Harlow - HT Physio over 50s Specialist. I use his exercises every day and they have made such a difference. His explanations are clear and he has a realistic appreciation of what people are capable of. He has also written a book. I think it's called "Thriving beyond Fifty".

My gran used to say this, but mainly from the perspective of be careful of knocks and bruises. Varicose veins running in my family, my mum was always scared of banging her legs, having seen Gran and various aunts ending up with varicose ulcers.

I'm 60 and have practised karate for the last 12 years. The routines develop strength, balance and flexibility. I also run weekly to maintain muscle.

I can get off the floor without using my hands.

I imagine that is the sort of thing she meant.

There is no reason why you can't start karate in your 50s or later. We have new joiners in that age bracket and they seem to cope fine.

@NoisySnail i had to deal with elderly frail parents for a long time and both of them entered hospital being mobile and were discharged unable to walk after illness. It is terrifying for elderly people just how quickly your mobility and muscle tone can disappear. I watched one elderly lady on one occasion in the same ward as my mother pleading with the nursing staff to get her out of the bed and to get her walking. She was very clear and very lucid about not being rendered immobile. Absolutely no help was forthcoming. Witnessing this situation it really impressed upon me to ensure that my fitness is kept up alongside the importance of having someone advocate for you. My poor Dad was left in a side ward during the first lockdown as he had Covid. Survived Covid, had already survived a broken back the year before, but never walked again after spending 3 weeks in a bed with no visitors allowed and no physio.

Michael Mosley also has some good information about ageing and mobility. I also concur about keeping up foot care.

I think most of it is being naturally active, 10k steps a day is as good as anything to aim for plus if your job involves sitting down, get up periodically and do squats, lunges, balance or stretching exercises etc. Also use the time waiting for the kettle to boil for the same. You can add quite a lot of activity in your day this way.

I was mindful of how unfit I am as a mostly sedentary 50 YO when I went on holiday to the mountains of Andalusia. I'd be walking around the back streets of the villages finding it hard work and often be overtaken by local women 20/30 years older than me, carrying bags of shopping.

Hip fracture - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic
hip fractures are notoriously dangerous for seniors and as such keeping "the legs" strong and healthy is a good idea.
for those that are younger; dieting can increase your risk of osteoporosis so eat healthy, know the benefits of hrt, then exercise that included strength and balance.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/04/30/the-way-we-age-now

For context I'm 69 and lost a lot of leg strength teaching online in lockdown. I got so I couldn't crouch to look under furniture! I thought I was just getting old. Use it or lose it is the key.
My lovely rheumatologist said three things: a kilo overweight is 3 kilos on the knees.

1. Aim for Schwarzenegger thighs!
2. At a later age allow longer for muscle mass to build, but it can waste away in a heartbeat.

I lost the weight, which makes me sound like a coiled spring of will-power, but I'm fine for my age height and BMI.
Thighs - stationary bicycle and leg exercise machines in the gym: seated leg raise, reverse leg curl, leg extension, seated leg press. When not available, I do wall squats.
I've had a very bad back lately, afraid to do the gym and this thread has made me get back on the bike. I walk with my dog about 4Ks every day, and it's not enough to build muscle because the bad back makes me slower, though way better than nothing.
Also calf raises - use the bottom step of the stairs.
Craploads of heme-based protein.

Include inclines and hills, and that will work your quads and strengthen calves.