THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE IN MAINTAINING FUNCTIONAL ABILITY FUNCTIONAL ABILITY: 

“Maintaining functional ability” What does that mean? 

  How you get through your day. 

  The way you function in your life and in your environment. 

• How well you are able to get in and out of bed.
  
  • Can you do it independently or do you need a little help? 

• Can you get dressed on your own – including socks and shoes? 

• Can you walk to the dining room independently and safely?
  
  • Do you need help? Are you scared to fall? 

• Can you go to the store or market for shopping? 

 All these things contribute to your “functional ability” 

Two main factors that contribute to loss of function 

• Normal aging process:
  ” Changes in muscles and bones: Reduce flexibility, strength and posture. ” Changes in heart and lungs affect stamina and endurance. ” Changes in the senses: vision, hearing, touch, proprioception: affects balance and walking. ” This is all part of the NORMAL aging process. 

• Disease process:
  ” Arthritis and osteoporosis affects bones and joints. ” High blood pressure, bronchitis and emphysema affect the heart and lungs. ” Diabetes, cataracts, and macular degeneration affect your senses. ” Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Cancer 

 When you add the effects of the normal aging process to the effects of a disease process, sometimes more than one disease, the result is a reduction in your daily function and a reduction in your quality of life. 

But there is hope! 

 Bounce Physical Therapists specialize in restoring function in your life. Physical Therapists can use many different strategies to help achieve you that function: 

• Specific training for those particular, difficult tasks
• Improve safety 
• Reduce the risk of falls 
• Manual, hands-on techniques such as massage, if appropriate 
• Suggest use proper use of a heating pad or ice 
• Recommend use of assistive and adaptive devices and equipment such as a cane, walker or wheelchair. 
• The most commonly used strategy that Physical Therapists use to help you regain your function is EXERCISE.
  
  EXERCISE: 
• Can be extremely helpful in improving a person’s quality of life regardless of age or previous level of activity. 
• Must be performed with proper technique, frequency, and duration and at the proper intensity level 
• Improves strength, flexibility, and balance. 
• Improves posture. 
• Improves breathing and endurance.  

Therefore, improves how well you get around and do your daily tasks. • As a result, proper exercise will improve your quality of life. • Again, exercise must be performed consistently with proper technique