When my then-88-year-old mom moved from our family home—a large two-story with 16 stairs up to the bedrooms and 16 down to the laundry room—to a lovely one-floor apartment, she soon lost the ability to climb stairs. And then stepping up or down a standard curb became challenging.
It’s not surprising. We’ve all heard the phrase “use it or lose it.”
I’m repeatedly seeing this seniors’ trend of moving to one-floor living demonstrate just how easy it is for the body to lose muscle strength and basic movement patterns.
If or when you choose to move to stair-free living, I suggest you take time to assess and then adapt your new level of activity:
Find a way to regularly include stairs. For example, on a daily walk head for a long-ish staircase in the neighbourhood. Then climb both up and down since each of these is a separate skill.
Or, like my mother, take a super-simple and very effective approach to regaining (or maintaining) your leg strength: find a staircase (an apartment/condo stairwell works well), and step up and down a single step several times. Hold on for stability, and do an equal number leading with each foot.
While you’re at it, here’s one more quick and easy exercise to do every morning at the breakfast table. When you’re finished your meal, stand up then sit down, and repeat this 3-8 times.
Interested in a future with an independent lifestyle? The continued ability to climb stairs and to stand up from a chair (and toilet) with confidence will help get you there.
Happy 95th birthday Mom! Congratulations on your outstanding health and fitness and your always-cheerful-and-optimistic outlook on life!
UPDATE — August 1, 2023
Here’s a link to an interesting video from a physiotherapist. He references the trend to one-floor living and its link to weak legs; he and his colleagues call it the “bungalow legs” syndrome.
