How to Restore Your Mobility and Confidence with Ease

September 29, 2023

Did you know that mobility is the fastest growing disability? I was shocked to learn that the Center of Disease Control and Prevention estimates that fourteen percent of adults in the United States (1 in 7) have difficulty walking ¼-mile or climbing stairs. For people aged 65 and up, this number skyrockets to forty percent! That’s 2 in 5 people having a hard time moving safely. This is sobering because mobility is foundational to age well and live independently.


What is causing this growing epidemic? Let’s dig into some potential root causes of mobility disability and action steps to prevent it.

Sarcopenia & Inactivity

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and function that occurs to varying degrees in people. It is one of the leading health issues facing older adults because it results in weakness that restricts independence while increasing the risk of disability, injuries and falls. While many factors contribute to sarcopenia including a chronic state of inflammation, malnutrition, oxidative stress and neuromuscular degeneration (2), research shows that inactivity is the major culprit and exercise can reverse this syndrome (3).

Tight Joints & Weak Muscles

Living a sedentary lifestyle causes connective tissue and muscles to get short, tight and weak. Tight tissues that cross joints and cause compression, stiffness and pain. This impairs joint function, muscle strength and mobility. 


As people age, there is an increasing prevalence of chronic joint symptoms. The CDC reports that that nearly 59% of individuals older than 64 years of age self-report arthritis or chronic joint symptoms, compared to 42% of 45 to 64 year olds (4).

Mobility is a Joint Effort

Ankles, knees and hips all work together to create locomotion to perform life’s daily activities including getting out of bed, showering, toileting, cleaning, cooking and running errands. Each joint affects the function of the other. If one joint is not moving well it is “dysfunctional” and the body’s other joints and muscles will compensate. Over time pain will pop up.


Problems at one joint often show up as pain in the joint above or below. According to Gray Cook, MSPT, author of Functional Movement Systems, knee pain can be coming from ankles that don’t move well; that lower back pain is likely coming from tight, immobile hips.

More Pain, Less Activity

Naturally, when it hurts to move, activity levels plummet. This commonly leads to more joint stiffness, weaker legs, and poor balance. Feeling unsteady on your feet can make everyday tasks like walking, cooking, cleaning and showering more difficult. 


As balance confidence declines, the risk and fear of falling grows. This leads to a vicious cycle of less activity, more atrophy and decreasing functional capabilities from head to toes. Cognitive impairments go hand-in-hand with less movement because of reduced stimulation and blood flow.

Where do you start when it hurts to move, and you are afraid of falling?

Simply start by moving joints in a comfortable, pain-free range of motion from your head to your toes! Seated exercise removes the fear of falling so you can enjoy moving more while gradually restoring confidence. As you feel stronger and steadier, progress to standing exercise with adequate support within close reach of a kitchen counter, wall, sturdy table or chair. 


Regaining flexibility and strength does take a consistent effort and time, but the return on investment of moving more freely and living more fully is definitely worth it.

Start Regaining Strength, Balance & Mobility

Moving joints through a full, pain-free range of motion can improve joint health, alignment and strength so you can move with greater ease, efficiency and better balance. 


Joints love circles! Moving this way helps to gently lengthen tight tissues and strengthen weak ones surrounding joints making them more mobile and stable. As joint range of motion increases, more muscles are activated to increase strength. When joints can move more freely in all directions, they are better able to sense and respond to the dynamic environment so you experience better balance in all directions. 


Joint health can improve as more blood flow delivers nutrients and oxygen for healing and repairing damage while taking out the cellular trash. Synovial fluid or “joint oil,” is released to lubricate and nourish joints. Structural alignment can improve with greater freedom of movement. This all adds up to greater movement efficiency so you can experience increased energy and more confidence with each step you take.

One Simple Practice to Open Joints from Head to Toes

Start seated in a sturdy chair with hips aligned with or slightly higher than knees. Do not move into pain; pain is your body’s signal to STOP as it is sensing an unsafe position that may cause injury.


Sitting tall, away from the back of your chair; begin by taking a deep inhale and exhale. As you inhale, lift up from the crown of your head to lengthen your spine and exhale to relax body and mind. Continue breathing comfortably throughout the exercises.


Make 3-5 slow circles in each direction, as small or as large as desired. Take a moment to notice how you feel before and after this simple practice.


1. Neck: Make clockwise circles with your nose; repeat in the opposite direction.

2. Shoulders: Roll shoulders forward and then back.

3. Wrists: Clasp hands together and with your knuckles, make circles in a clockwise direction; repeat with counterclockwise circles.

4. Torso: Keeping your trunk solid like a cylinder, focus on the top of your head and make circles on the ceiling, moving in one direction; repeat in the opposite direction.

5. Hips: Lift your right knee, make circles with your knee in a clockwise direction as if tracing the numbers around a wall clock; repeat in a counterclockwise direction; repeat on your left side.

6. Knees: Lift your right knee slightly and with your foot raised, make small circles as if tracing them on the ground; repeat in the opposite direction; then switch to the left knee.

7. Ankles: With your heel on the ground, lift the toes of your right foot; pretending your big toe is a pencil, make clockwise circles; repeat in a counterclockwise direction; repeat on the left ankle.


How do you feel now? Following this simple joint opener practice, clients consistently say they feel “better,” “looser,” “more energy,” and more vibrant” and you can too! It just takes a few minutes and is a great way to release tension, increase energy and improve joint range of motion for better mobility.


When you are looking to increase your flexibility and strength, try one of our MoveMor exercise videos. Please let me know how these simple moves improve the way you move and feel!


Cheers to you moving more freely and living more fully!

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0816-disability.html

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282252/

Papadopoulou SK (2020). Sarcopenia: A Contemporary Health Problem among Older Adult Populations. Nutrients. 

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5386774/

Gomes MJ et al (2017).Skeletal muscle aging: influence of oxidative stress and physical exercise.  Oncotarget.
4. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5142a2.htm

Age with Power: Fall in Love with Exercise

February 17, 2025
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and remember a time you fell in love and the bliss you felt. Perhaps you thought about when you met your soul mate, the birth of your child, or when you discovered your life’s passion. You may remember your heart pounding a little harder, your mood lifted and an extra spring in your step. How would you like to feel this way every day? With physical activity and exercise, you can. Warm feelings of love are caused by chemical reactions that occur with the release of hormones and neurotransmitters inside your body and brain. The same feel-good chemicals are secreted when we fall in love and when we are physically active and exercise. First, let’s distinguish the difference between physical activity and exercise. Physical activity is simply adding more movement to your day, like doing housework, gardening or dancing to a favorite song. Exercise is physical activity that is planned or structured for the purpose of getting stronger and healthier. According to biological anthropologist, and Research Professor Dr. Helen Fisher of Rutgers University who studies love, the chemicals that the body releases with romantic love include: Dopamine creates feelings of euphoria, increased energy, focus and attention and also triggers an intense rush of reward and pleasure. (Interestingly, heroin, cocaine and sugar light up similar areas in the brain, making these substances highly addictive. Surprised by sugar? We’ll break down the science on sugar addiction in another article.) Norepinephrine causes the heart to go pitter patter, pound harder and gets blood pumping. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain relievers and are chemically related to morphine. They also create a sense of well-being, security and attachment. Like romantic love, exercise releases dopamine, norepinephrine and endorphins. But wait, there’s more! Exercise releases more chemicals into the brain that are powerful mood and mind-boosting substances including: Serotonin is a natural mood-enhancer that helps relieve depression. BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) also helps relieve depression and enhances brain health and memory. GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) which helps calm the brain’s emotional circuitry like Xanax® but without the side-effects! Exercise is a great outlet to cope with stress better. Then of course, exercise boosts energy and vigor, positively impacting all body and brain systems so you can feel good as the days and years fly by. As we age, diet, medications and stress levels all influence levels of hormones and other chemicals and can cause them to get discombobulated, leading to mood changes, anxiety attacks and confusion. Exercise has widespread effects on the body and brain to help balance the whole system. If there was a pill that had the same wide-ranging effects as exercise, everyone would be popping it. To experience these joyous feelings, you may be wondering how much exercise is needed. Glad you asked! Not as much as you may think. Research done by best-selling author, Gretchen Reynolds suggests that just 20 minutes of physical activity like walking is all that’s needed for the euphoric feeling, and for general health and well-being. In a 2021 research study , 6 minutes of self-paced walking improved energy, motivation and mood. The faster the pace, the greater the improvements! Even when it comes to better balance and walking faster, independent clinical studies with older adults show it’s possible in as little as 10-20 minutes per week using the MoveMor Mobility Trainer! That’s a small time investment with a big return. We have been led to believe that we need to work out long and hard for health benefits. Research is mounting to dispel this long-held belief. What are you waiting for? If you’re looking for better balance and more confidence when you walk, just sit down, strap your feet in and perform a MoveMor exercise video. Then head out for an invigorating walk and feel the love. Not sure where to start to get your balance and energy back? Schedule a 15-minute complementary call with Healthy Aging Architect℠, Cate Reade, MS, RD, CES, RYT, designing your blueprint to age powerfully! Get started today.

The First Step to Aging Powerfully in 2025: What’s your “Why?”

January 11, 2025
The start of the new year provides us time to pause and reflect on what went well and what we want to improve upon. Health is always at the top of my list for two reasons: first because I walk the talk as a nutritionist and exercise physiologist; secondly and more profoundly, it’s because I lost my health for a few years to chronic Lyme disease and recovered it. Anyone who has experienced a chronic or disabling condition knows wholeheartedly and bone deep that health is your most precious asset. As the saying goes, “A healthy person has a thousand wishes, a sick person only one.” When you’ve lost your health and vitality, you want it back more than anything else on earth. Living with physical, mental and/or emotional pain drains the life energy out of you. Your world gets smaller. You engage less. Depression sets in. You may lose hope and toss in the towel, simply accepting that further decline is inevitable. Or you can love yourself enough to take small, sustainable steps towards improving your health. If you look at all the changes you need to make, you can become overwhelmed and not know where to start. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. But before you take that first bite, ask yourself, “Why do I want to eat that elephant?” Regardless of your age or health challenges, we now know that small, gradual lifestyle changes are the foundation of health. What would happen to your home if it was built on a foundation made from sand? It wouldn’t be able to stand the test of time and the same goes for our health. The quality of how we choose to eat, move, drink, think, sleep and socialize each day all come together to create or break our health little by little.

How to Reduce Holiday Stress and Fall Risk

November 15, 2024
The holiday season is here and heading into full swing. It’s a time filled with gathering together and sharing with family and friends. It can be a wonderful time of the year, and it can also be stressful. There’s all the planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning, entertaining and then gift giving that can be fun, but it also has its own challenges! As we get older, it becomes even more important to manage stress because it can lead to a 41% increased risk for falling (1).

How to Get Up from the Floor

October 29, 2024
Is it challenging for you to get up from the floor? You are not alone. Many older adults find that this skill becomes more difficult as the years fly by. Being able to rise from the floor is an essential activity to live independently and do the things you need, want and love to do; from playing with grandchildren, gardening and housecleaning. In the event of a fall, being able to get back up on your feet can be a lifesaving skill. Having difficulty or even losing the ability to rise from the ground is largely due to stiff joints and weak muscles of the lower and upper body. It is a skill that can be regained and maintained with consistent practice overtime. As we age it can be common to lose range of motion at ankles and hips. The loss of ankle flexibility is essential for the ability to get off the floor yet is commonly overlooked. It is also needed for daily activities like getting up and down from the couch, sitting on the toilet, and picking something off the ground. (Stay tuned, we will talk about ankle mobility in next month’s blog!) Flexibility and strength of the lower and upper body are functional fundamentals that are commonly lost with aging and inactivity and are needed to get from the floor to your feet include:

Give yourself Grace: Building Resilience Takes Time

September 10, 2024
Here’s something we can all agree on. The older you get, the more experiences you have including the good, the bad and the losses. Aging is a great gift and when times get tough, you learn strategies that strengthen your resilience muscles. Just like the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is quoted as saying, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” Resilience is what I admire most about my older adult clients. That ability to move through life’s challenges, to adapt to difficult situations, mentally and emotionally while learning, growing and becoming stronger. One of my MoveMor “frequent fliers” is a gal 92 years of age who recently lost her 67-year-old daughter. When I asked her how she was doing after class last week with sadness and a smile she said, “You have to deal with the cards that you’re dealt.” So true and you need strategies to manage your health emotionally, mentally and physically. It is such a blessing and privilege to work with older adults who have incredible experiences, stories and wisdom to share. At 61 years of age, I am blessed to be in great health and happily married for 33 years! My husband and I have raised three children who are amazing young adults living their lives. Now, in a couple of short weeks the nest will be empty. It’s a big transition time that doesn’t get a lot of discussion, but it should. It’s a time for reflection and big adjustments. Transitions are difficult as you feel the sand shifting under your feet. It feels unstable and uncomfortable. Everyone talks about the “empty nest” but I didn’t anticipate our children living far from home. Two are living on the central coast of California. They love the beach, having a 10-minute commute to work and access to fantastic fresh foods at the farmer’s markets. Now my baby boy is 6’3” and 22 years of age who graduated 4 months ago with his degree in architecture. He landed a fantastic internship in New York City. I am so happy for him as this is an amazing opportunity, but I am going to miss him, especially being so far away. It’s so wonderful seeing your children grow and become adults. As a parent, the most important thing is for your children to be happy and healthy. They are happy which makes me happy. But it’s still tough when they leave and fly far from the nest. That’s hard for mama bears. Now I have that same sense of sadness and cry like I did before each of my children left home to pursue their dreams. There is that sinking pit in my stomach, muscle tightness, and sleep disturbances surrounding the dreaded anticipation of him leaving. Our nest will be truly empty for the first time and our adult children will be on the west and east coast! This is a big transition time in my life, filled with emotions and the need for reflection. Our time on this earth is finite. Nothing is permanent so enjoy and relish each precious moment that you have with those you love.  When tough times and losses come your way, give yourself grace. Emotions have a huge impact on health and should be acknowledged, not buried or ignored. Take time for yourself. Process how and why you are feeling the way you do and nurture yourself.

Improve Lymphatic Flow for Better Balance and Well-Being

By Cate Reade • August 16, 2024
Our lymphatic system is an extensive network of vessels and nodes that is often overlooked and integral to immune function and waste removal, significantly impacting physical, mental and emotional health. Unlike blood vessels that have the heart as a pump, the lymphatic system depends on movement for flow and function. Approximately 30% of my female clients who are over the age of 65, have lymphedema that causes swelling and discomfort. This can negatively impact physical function, mobility and balance. It can decrease the ability to perform activities of daily living and raises concerns about the ability to maintain an active lifestyle and functional independence as the years fly by. Cancer survivors have often had surgeries that involve the removal of lymph nodes that disrupts this powerful drainage system, leaving them with fluid imbalances, swelling and lymphedema in the lower and upper body. As we age, our lymphatic system can become clogged and backed up leaving us with excessive fluid accumulating in ankles, legs and arms. This can cause tightness, stiffness, fatigue and joint pain. Improving lymph flow can reduce swelling, boost detoxification and the immune system. It can relieve fatigue and joint pain as well as improve proprioception that is a prerequisite for the balance and confidence needed to reduce the risk of injury and falls.

Balance and Independence: An Intimate Connection

By Cate Reade • July 11, 2024
Who doesn't love a success story?! Check out this video for some education and encouragement as Deanna shares her triumph over restoring her proprioception following her treatment for a brain tumor that damaged her body-brain communication that made her walking difficult and uncoordinated, putting her at a high risk of falling. Today Deanna walks with control and confidence! And you can too. Need balance? There is a special discount offer at the end so you can save $$$ and your independence at the same time! Act now! Offer good through August 4, 2024.

Food is Foundational: 5 Steps to Optimize Your Energy and Aging

By Cate Reade • June 19, 2024
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates

Reducing Fall Risk: Your Home Safety Checklist

By Cate Reade • May 20, 2024
As we age our risk of falling increases. Back in 1986, Mary Tinetti, a pioneer in fall risk and fall prevention research at the Yale University School of Medicine identified over 160 independent risk factors for falls! That was before “smartphones” so that number is certainly higher now as cellphones can be a major distraction. The risk factors she identified can be thought of as intrinsic (occurring within the body) and extrinsic (occurring outside the body). Research shows that the risk of falls increases linearly with the more risk factors that are present (1). The more risk factors we can reduce, the lower our chance of falling. That’s the purpose of today’s blog.

Why Does Fall Risk Increase with Age?

By Cate Reade • April 11, 2024
One of the biggest concerns of older adults is a four letter word and that is “fall.” This is understandable since the results of a fall can be devastating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1 of 3 people over age 65 and 1 of 2 people over age 85 will fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death and injuries in older adults. One fall can result in injuries ranging from minor bruises to wrist or hip fractures or a brain injury. This can have devastating effects on your physical and psychological function including reduced mobility and activity levels, an increased fear of falling, low confidence and keep you from going out and about. Here’s the good news, your risk of falling can be reduced. Just like people age differently with some being as healthy as horse into their tenth decade like Blue Zone centenarians. This is largely due to consistent exercise and lifestyle choices. Kudos for being here and learning about how to build your fall resilience because you desire to be the person who ages with good balance and confidence. Through awareness and understanding of what causes falls, you can take action to increase your abilities to respond quickly to save yourself from a trip or stumble. Yes, you can avoid becoming a fall statistic because falls are preventable! Let’s dive into the underlying causes of falls.
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