Dr. Kate Ella is a personal trainer and a former orthopedic surgeon. She knows more than most about what happens when people add functional fitness to their daily lives.
“I saw so many people who had fallen and couldn’t get back up off the floor and what happened next,” she says. “Getting up from the floor is very important as we get older because it means we can keep saying yes to things like playing on the floor with our grandchildren and it also keeps us safe.”
Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, is a big problem in the UK. It makes people weak and more likely to fall. Dr. Ella talks about a study that found that more than 20% of adults in their 70s are affected. What is the good news? You have the ability to put it off for a long time. She says, “There is so much we can do to build muscle without joining a gym or finding hours of time that we don’t have.” Here are her four moves that you can’t change, and you don’t need a gym to do them.
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These movements are some of my favorites because they keep my arms, legs, and core strong, my back and legs moving, and my balance challenged every day.
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1. Crab walk Dr. Ella says, “The crab walk is great for core and arm strength, and it’s one of thosemovements that everyone can do, so it’s easy to fit into the day.”
2. Spinal twist: “The spinal twist is great for moving your back, and you can do it while sitting at your desk when you realize you haven’t moved in a while,” she says.
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3. Wall press-up “The wall press-up is also great for building strength in your arms and core. It’s a great exercise to do while dinner is cooking.” Dr. Ella says, “You can also change it in so many ways that it will work for almost anyone. I’ve told clients in their 30s and 80s to use it.”
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She tells older clients to do the “diamond option”: “Stand close to the wall and make a diamond with your fingers and thumbs, then do the wall press.” It really works the triceps, which is very important for getting up from the floor, the couch, or even the bathroom, and even more so as we get older and need that extra help.
Dr. Ella says, “For younger clients, I often tell them to move their feet as far away from the wall as they can while keeping their core engaged.” “That makes the angle between their body and the wall bigger, which means they need more force. Then, they can move on to a sofa press with their hands on the sofa. This way, the force is still less than with a regular press-up, but they can lower the surface over time to make it harder.
4. Squat on your tiptoes
Dr. Ella says, “The tiptoe squat that I do every night while I brush my teeth is probably my favorite.” “All of these things are very important for getting up off the floor in our 80s and beyond: leg mobility, leg and core strength, and balance.”
Dr. Ella says, “My best advice for movements like these is to figure out how to fit them into your day so that they become a part of your life.” She says that habit stacking, or adding the movement to something you already do every day, can be very helpful. “I use it too. I always brush my teeth before bed, as you would expect, and by adding the tiptoe squat to that, I know I will do it every day.” The dentist was also happy that I was still brushing my teeth well.
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What did you learn? Don’t ever underestimate how much adding even a few minutes of functional fitness to your routine can help you in the future. You will be glad you did it.
