{"id":479293,"date":"2025-10-07T01:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/479293\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T01:00:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:00:13","slug":"the-3-exercise-routine-to-keep-you-mobile-into-your-80s-according-to-a-pt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/479293\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3-exercise routine to keep you mobile into your 80s, according to a PT"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have the privilege of ageing, it\u2019s inevitable that you will experience a decline in your body\u2019s abilities over the years. Muscle<\/a> mass starts to gradually reduce \u2013 even in healthy bodies \u2013 as early as your 30s, bone density<\/a> decreases around your late 30s-40s, and cardiovascular<\/a> function naturally deteriorates with age. You also lose mobility and balance as you become elderly, too. It perhaps sounds like a bleak prognosis, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. With lifestyle interventions, such as maintaining physical activity throughout your life, you can give your body its best chance at remaining mobile and strong<\/a> into your 80s and beyond. <\/p>\n

Dr Kate Ella, health coach, PT and former orthopaedic surgeon<\/a>, is a big believer that we, as individuals, can have a big impact on our future health outcomes by very simply keeping our bodies moving while we\u2019re young. \u2018As a former orthopaedic surgeon, I\u2019ve treated hundreds of broken hips following falls and I know the huge impact they have on peoples\u2019 lives,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n

World Health Organisation data from 2021<\/a> reported an estimated 684,000 fatal falls per year, with adults over 60 being the most at risk. \u2018By working on our balance<\/a> now, we can reduce the risk of falls later,\u2019 Dr Kate Ella continues. <\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

That said, she understands it\u2019s not always easy to make time for physical activity \u2013 even when we know the many benefits it brings. So, she developed a super-simple three-exercise routine that takes barely any time at all that will bolster your mobility into old age. And, bonus, you can do it from absolutely anywhere. \u2018You can do them when the kettle\u2019s boiling, the children are thinking about going to sleep or when you\u2019re cooking dinner,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

3 exercises that will keep you mobile into your 80s, according to a PT1. Pogo jumps
<\/p>\n

According to Dr Kate Ella, pogo jumps tick many boxes when it comes to preserving your health for the long-term. \u2018They\u2019re not only great for leg strength<\/a> and cardiovascular fitness, they also may improve your bone strength, by loading it, and help your foot and ankle mobility too,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

How to: <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Start by standing with your feet hip width apart.<\/li>\n
  2. Bend your knees slightly and then jump up into the air, landing as gently as you can each time.<\/li>\n
  3. Repeat for 1 minute.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    2. Lunge pulses<\/p>\n

    If you have a habit of avoiding lunges<\/a>, now\u2019s the time to readdress it. Not only can the unilateral movement build strength that\u2019s useful for everyday life right now, it\u2019ll also help you maintain muscle as you age. \u2018This type of squat<\/a> movement works our glutes, quads, hamstrings (and even core), helping you to get up off the floor and the loo in your 80s,\u2019 says Dr Kate Ella.<\/p>\n

    How to: <\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Starting from standing, step forward so that your front knee and hip are bent to 90 degrees and your back knee is also bent to 90 degrees.<\/li>\n
    2. Gently pulse up and down in that position for 30 seconds.<\/li>\n
    3. Repeat with the other leg in front.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      3. Ski poling<\/p>\n

      \u2018This hinge type movement really works the glutes<\/a>, which is a key muscle to keep us walking for as long as possible,\u2019 says Dr Kate Ella. Incorporating the arm movement transforms this into a compound exercise, a move that recruits multiple muscle groups. \u2018Add some light weights to increase the load [or some cans if you\u2019re cooking dinner],\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n

      How to:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Starting by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms reaching up to the sky.<\/li>\n
      2. Simultaneously bring your arms down to your sides whilst pushing your hips backwards (as if closing a door).<\/li>\n
      3. Repeat for 1 minute.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"Headshot<\/p>\n

        Abbi Henderson is a freelance journalist and social media lead who covers health, fitness, women\u2019s sport and lifestyle for titles including Women’s Health, Stylist and Marie Claire.<\/p>\n

        Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy.<\/p>\n

        With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality.<\/p>\n

        She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she\u2019s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).\u00a0<\/p>\n