Over 60? This One At-Home Exercise Will Help You Live Longer Independently

And it will reignite your joy of movement

Photo by Aliaksei Lepik on Unsplash

If you don't know where to start with exercise, and exercise doesn't excite you, then you're not alone.  I have something for your that is so simple that you'll love it. In fact, it is so simple that this one of my shortest articles.

​Despite its simplicity, it will make a big difference in helping you live longer better.

Why most people are moved out of their homes

A few years back, I asked my local GP what the most common reason that people are taken out of their homes and put into aged care is. His prompt response was "when they cannot get up off the toilet".  This shocked me.

I was shocked because not being able to stand from sitting isn't a medical impairment or a disease. It's almost entirely the outcome of a lack of exercise and movement. Of course, becoming feeble is eventually going to stop us all - but it is deferrable by years if not a decade with relatively little effort.

How much are you willing to invest to be able to live independently and feel better for another decade, or even 4 or 5 years? Will you give 10 minutes a day? 

Ten minutes a day to stay in your own home for years longer

I'll show you how to do it for 10 minutes a day, but first, let's do a little test as a benchmark of how you stack up today?

• Can you rise from sitting on a chair without using your arms? 
• Can you get up from the lounge without pushing with your arms?
• Can you get up from the floor unaided?

If you cannot get up from the floor unaided, then this exercise is not safe for you. 

If you struggle to rise from a chair or get up from the lounge, then this exercise will build your strength to do that. And, if you can already do those two things well, then it will improve your capacity to do more.

As simple as it gets

Here's the routine - stand, lie, roll, stand.

1. Stand upright in your loungeroom
2. Get down onto the floor, and on to your back
3. Count 1 second - say "one, Mississippi" in your head
4. Roll over to face down, on your stomach
5. Stand up to strong upright posture.

That's it.

Your goal is to one set of ten every day - for the rest of your life.

If you haven't been exercising try doing just one each day of the first week, two each day of the second week etc, until you reach the tenth week when you should be able to do ten.

You can level-up by doing more sets, competing against time, or adding more demanding movements - or all three. I'll explain these below.

Check the fine points

But firstly, here are the fine points to note:

• Don't rush but move smoothly and deliberately
• Get down and back up any way you like - focus on remaining injury-free
• Hold the 1-second count on your back - this is to kill momentum so that you have to initiate the roll-over using more muscle
• If you feel light-headed or dizzy when getting up then stop, and consult with your medical advisor to check if it is safe for you.

When you're comfortable doing one set, add more, with a one minute break. Doing three sets a day is plenty. If you can do more than three, then go back to one and try the time or exercise challenges below.

Time challenges

If you are fit, then you should be able to do 10 in your age as seconds if you are over 40, i.e. if you're 70 then set a 70-second countdown timer - ask Alexa. Make sure that you don't cheat on the 1-second hesitation on your back.

If you have not been exercising regularly then double your age to get your time challenge in seconds, i.e. if you're 60 then your one-set time is 120 seconds.

For everyone else, you are in between the upper and lower time interval. You can map your progress with a once-monthly check.

Exercise challenges

If you are fit and want to add some intensity, change the movement as follows:

• On the drop to the floor jump your feet back together as for a burpee, do a hands-release push-up, and then drop back down and roll-over.
• Instead of just standing up, execute a frog-hop by jumping your feet forward alongside and outside your hands while simultaneously standing. Your hands should have left the ground before your feet arrive under you. Here's the lesser version, which is ok for a start.

Stay longer at home

​The basic form of the exercise will stimulate your body and brain, and give you a satisfying feeling of movement and agility. It is a great way to kick-start your day. You'll also stand taller and walk better (and even better if you do this).

And most importantly it will ensure that you can rise from a seat for a long time to come, and stay in your own home.
​
Good luck.

How to stay in your own home for longer living independently, starting now - do this test

> More posts to help you with EXERCISES
> More posts to help you with DIABETES
> If you are a @MEDIUM reader my publication Body Age Buster has hundreds of categorised posts which I have written especially for men and women over 50

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