Look After Your Legs

[NoisySnail]

I was in a cafe today and over heard an elderly woman talking to younger friends about getting older. She said the best advice she could give is to look after your legs as they are so important for mobility. But annoyingly she did not explain what she meant by this, and I could hardly ask!

So does anyone know how we can look after our legs?

I realised my legs were becoming weaker as I got older(largely due to Chronic fibromyalgia) and didn't know what to do. walking was becoming a real problem. I had seen the ad for the Electrical Muscle Stimulator called Revitive, the one Ian Botham advertises but remained very sceptical. However one day when I couldn't even get up a stepladder easily( I am short and need to to reach any thing) I decided I had to do something so I took the plunge and bought (not an easy decision because of the cost of Revitive about £350 - ouch!) a Revitive EMS. Best decision I ever made. After 6 weeks of use (your muscles need time to strengthen up) I can walk freely and easily, I can walk upstairs with no effort. Gobsmacked at the difference. Can I state I am not connected financially or otherwise in any way shape of form to the Revitive company but I am a very happy customer who is reaping huge benefits from investing in this product which means I can start to exercise again and regain fitness. I hope this helps some of you out there in Mumsnet World xx😄

I joined a gym at 58, I don't love it to be frank, but I go 3 times a week and do weights. The aim is keep strength, hoping it will work.

If you are not enjoying your current weight training, try Caroline Girvan:

Such an informative and inspiring thread, first one I’ve ever saved!
If only there was a focus on health promotion, information and support in healthcare.
There isn’t enough information to understand the little changes to lifestyle that can affect your mobility unless you work in healthcare or stumble across a thread like this.
Love the story of the old lady who does a daily walk up a hill. Something to aspire to!

I have been inundated with exercise tips on Facebook etc. I think we are getting spied on! I need to go through them and whittle them down as I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

That must have been really scary.

I think we take kneeling for granted. It never occurred to me you could lose it until my neighbour (only in her 60s) told me she hadn't been able to kneel for years.

Getting up from the floor is logistically and mechanically massively more difficult if you can't weight bear on your knees. You're kind of running a different race from those of us who still take kneeling for granted (or even can do it in a pinch).

I can do it without hands but I'm completely reliant on being able to kneel on the way up. I can't get my weight far enough forward to go straight from cross legged to feet. My 15 year old does no exercise but still makes it look easy.

Strong abdominals and thighs to improve balance for old age. Resistance straining and cycling. I'm 60 and obsessed with keeping strong for old age...fingers crossed. I cycle, spin classes and do resistance training.
I already see women and men my own age having mobility problems. My inlaws never did any exercise and I watched them fail in old age with simple tasks because they did not appreciate how important it was to keep fit and mobile.

If you have back problems then even getting a stationary bike and swimming will improve your mobility.

This is all so interesting. I'm nearly 56 and joined a gym after lockdown when I started working from home permanently, and not getting my steps in on my usual commute. I def feel stronger and fitter, although haven't lost any weight.

Love the classes and feel inspired by women much older than me who look fantastic!

This is very true. A friend was once told by a health visitor that the best thing you can do for your legs is moisturize every day to keep skin supple. I guess the massaging effect also helps with circulation.

I read somewhere, that getting up and down from sitting on the floor 3 times a day is really good for your mobility, and maintaining it. That means bum on the floor to standing, 3 times. The same goes for crossing your legs when on the floor. That's good for your hips and knees to be able to maintain that.
I've always been quite good at that. Mostly because I work with small children a lot!

I think those who go to gym, do spin classes are fine.
It is the rest of us I really did this thread for.

I only commented because you asked what we can do to look after our legs and I just mentioned what I do. This does not mean you have to ride 300km a week, do spin classes etc. Luckily for me I also do a very active outdoor job that I could not do at my age if I wasn't fit. Both my parents dies young so I'm trying to keep as healthy and fit as I possibly can.
However, there is a lot you could be doing and lots of walking would be a good start and there are also a plethora of youtube videos on beginners and at to-do-at-home exercise ides.

Exactly! I can't do much that tires me out, due to CFS/ME and frequent energy "crashes" . I can't push through the fatigue to exercise or I have a setback, but if I rest and rest I eventually feel well enough to attempt some exercise.

It is enormously frustrating, I would love to be active every day but sometimes having a shower is a major achievement. I have had most success with pacing my activity using a pulse oximeter. If my heart rate is under 100 in the morning I know I can do more that day - on another day getting up and brushing my teeth pushes it to 130 so I have to stop. I do trot (trudge) up the stairs a few times a day to keep my legs reasonably useful, but like PP there is no way I could take a large step.

I have really enjoyed this thread, such great ideas. I have struggled with the getting up off the floor test. I was useless on my first try. I watched the video and tried again. I could get up with one hand and felt very proud! However, I tried again a few hours later and my legs weren't cooperating so will try another day...

In my situation every little helps, so this thread is very inspiring, thank you!

On the back of this thread I joined the gym, finally! Thank you.

What have you come away with. You say no to spin. No to gym. No to weights.

What have you learned that will benefit you?

Why can’t you do that?

I think the secret to using your gym is finding something you enjoy doing. Most gyms run classes from yoga to HITT...sometimes you need to try different type of classes to find something you're willing to sign up to again.
I'm really badly co-ordinated so avoid anything like Zumba or anything dance related. I used to be an absolute nightmare in Step classes.
I'm better in classes where I don't need to move around to much such as spin, yoga, pilates, weights...and absolutely do not enjoy running so avoid the treadmill, but it can be used for walking too.

I can't speak for everyone, but as a rurally located fat person with mobility issues, just nipping off to the gym isn't that straightforward. Not everyone is lucky enough to be a racing snake like you possibly are. There are geographical, physical and financial implications for gym attendance/spinning classes etc, as well as significant mental hurdles.

This thread has been great for advice and techniques for getting up off the floor, walking more and remembering to moisturise legs and feet. That's a good starting point for some of us.

Have you checked out low impact exercise classes on youtube that you can literally do from your seat? There really is something for everybody.
Some gyms also have PTs for people with physical impairments. Might be worth asking around.

Good idea, thank you. I know stretches are good. I did Pilates for ten years before I had to give it up, and I do miss it.

If anyone wants a 60 day peloton app trial just PM me
It's got mobility, Pilates, meditation, stretching classes and adaptive mobility ones plus audio walks

I can't do stretches on my legs anymore as it just sets off my sciatica. Every time I try doing even gentle ones, I end up hobbling around for a few weeks afterwards. I know I have stiffened up.

I don't have gym membership anymore but I walk up a big hill 3 times a week (200m elevation gain according to Strava) and sometimes walk down depending on timing!

The Blue Zone on Netflix recommended walking up steep hills to keep fit into your old age.

So off the back of this thread, I’ve swapped my routine from some strength based exercises I couldn’t face doing to some mobility stuff mentioned here.

I’m going to do everything once a day- the sit to stand for 60 secs, the stairs at speed, the kneel to stand and the moisturising. I seen a hip flexor exercise I can do, as well. My friend has taken a base line and we’re going to see if there’s any improvement in a month.

That’s on top of postural/physio, dog walk and tai chi.

That is huge for me. I couldn’t do a spin class if my life depended on it and I don’t know what peloton actually is. My strength is appalling and I struggle to get in the car after a longish walk. But I will not be getting bungalow legs, no siree!

And I completely understand what @NoisySnail is aiming for. Some of us just can’t do what others can, but we need to work on maintaining and building our mobility rather than more traditional ideas of getting fit!