I turned 70 last Christmas. As one who use to keep very fit I had let things slide badly since my 60th. Big mistake. I really noticed that I was becoming weaker and less mobile Two months ago I joined a gym. I go three times a week ( even when I don’t want to ) and have a trainer once a week. I can already feel improvements and am waiting for that mythical muscle memory to return .. haha. Wish me luck !
Very nicely explained by you I am 75+ in normal health, keep moving,like 1billion Indians vegetarian too I now wish to take 5,000 years old Great Indian art of Yoga.Sage Patanjali recommended Yoga in those ancient time
@@lindac6919 during Covid ( like everyone else ) I started to bake. Cakes , bread, bagels … so I put on a stone (14 lbs) in weight. 😫It’s got to go. My clothes hate me. lol
Will, just found your video and I’ve subscribed. I’ve fallen twice, hard falls and I’m not sure. both required surgeries. I am anxious and fearful of walking fast and being alone. I feel your videos will help me. I read all the comments as well. it seems many of us are going through this. thank you!
I'm 71 and a retired mechanical designer. Your grasp of the mechanics involved is spot-on, and your explanations are clear, concise, and enlightening. 👍👍
Sure it would be ideal to walk faster but not when the sidewalks and streets got due to weather sneaky cracks n holes that r dangerous. I walk with a cane as have to. I look dwn n tread carefully. I have seen people fall n trip on terrible sidewalk conditions
Go zero carb....I am 65 and did this past three yrs. I now have zero pain , zero arthritis, zero inflammation. Last year felt so great started working out 4x a week
Please, please, please do a video about foot drop. No one is taking this subject on yet many seniors have it and many don't have AFOs to wear. It's dangerous, affects balance, there's tripping over something as little as a pebble or the edge of a rug or a threshold. There *must* be some of your clients who have foot drop. Please make a video (or a few!) about foot drop and the resulting loss of dorsiflexion and the atrophy that results. They also rarely have calf strength. Tight Achilles, curled toes catching, can't wear heavy shoes, even socks slide off the foot.
@@ellie698 Thank you! I hope he sees this and eventually covers it. There's almost no true info out there. I've found many people attempt to cover it, but they don't really seem to _actually_ get it, or _thoroughly_ get it, -- not intrinsically. It's more like they read a book about it, but don't really comprehend the complexities, all the way up the kinetic chain.
He does say that the one thing you must try to not lose is the ability to flex your ankle, so that your toes go toward your knees. Not in those words, necessarily, and I don't think he mentioned _foot drop_ as the issue, but he emphasized that move. I remember "foot drop" from back when I was young, and I was hoping to become a nurse. I felt so strongly about it, I subscribed to the _American Jourrnal of Nursing_ for two or three years. Foot drop is a big concern of conscientious nurses. They are all too familiar with it, and there were lots of instructions and tips to help keep it from developing.
@@lindajohnson4204 Pulling your toes up towards your knee is called "dorsiflexion." When one has the condition of "foot drop," they have nerve damage which totally prevents dorsiflexion. The foot actually drops in a plantar flexion position. It's droopy and there is zero ankle strength or mobility or control. It's a permanent condition and it leads to many further disabilities, difficulty walking, ambulating in ways that cause spine damage (or could even be caused DUE to spinal injury). It can also happen due to pressure on the peroneal nerve directly. The point is, the damage is done and there is an inability to move the foot from mid-shin down. No ankle mobility, no strength, and a constant tripping risk.
As a Licensed Neuro-Muscular Therapist, in active practice for 45 years, may I add my comment? The deep calf muscles, responsible for foot/ankle/toe movement, are bladder related. Keeping one’s water consumption up is critical. Drinking 3-4 oz of good filtered water every 15 minutes of each waking day will help to strengthen all your muscles. In about 2 months, you should notice a difference ! 😊
One way or another, you have to balance every step.. When I'm feeling pretty strong, sure, faster is better than slower, and the forward momentum is past of the balance. But there are times I'm going to tumble if I try to go faster than I can balance, so I walk slower, and try to keep my balance from step to step. If I didn't, I would go head over heels, or maybe that should be heels over head. It's not just an ignorant notion,; I am doing what I need to at the moment.
Have you thought about using a rolling walker only for walking exercise. I also was told to walk with intention. In other words, I need to really pay attention to keeping good posture. That’s why I say using the walker for exercise. I think there’s a way to adjust the wheels so it doesn’t get away from you. I’m no pro, I’m only making suggestions of what helped me.
I have had progressive bifocals for several years. I am very careful going down stairs. Glancing down can throw off depth perception. I am careful where I am looking as I go down the stairs.
Any glasses that have the reading prescription in the bottom of the lenses will make walking down stairs more difficult. The trick is to bend your head down and look out at an angle to the floor. This way, you are looking through the top of the glasses (distance Rx). Do not look at your feet! Also, hold on to the railing to steady yourself. I always joke with our patients (I'm an optician) that they'll never see their feet again!😊
I live upstairs in a retirement village and observe many of the "Oldies" walking with a side-to-side waddle. Perhaps Will, you can address that issue for us, please.
As a side note, my mom's gerontologist said that when seniors start falling, often their vit D is low. Keep a check on those values folks! Thanks for the video!
Don't forget always bend slightly at the knees when walking. Sound obvious, but amazing how often we forget to do that. Locking the knees while walking is the #1 cause of falls in my experience.
Very true. That mistake cost me 3 falls in a year, very badly, but nothing breaks luckily. Bruises last over a year and pain from injury more than 6 months. Am ok after all, healing completely now but was scary that I can never exercise again. Learn a lesson to be more careful and using a flashlight at night
A family member walks by shuffling her feet. She won't pick up her feet at all. She seems to think she's saving energy. I don't agree and I think it would be harder
Will, your advice and activities are always spot-on! You give this over 50 cancer survivor hope that I can have a productive life in my later years, and not feel like I’m held together with dried up elastic bands😊
I’m almost 76 years, I walked very most of time. On the time when I walked slowly it’s because I’m tired. Thanks again for giving me some advice on my daily routine, for a better aging experience.
@@carolinejohn4537 Thank you for responding . Did you end up having hip surgery ? I am in the process of figure out , what exactly I have, it's either ..Gluteus medius tendinopathy /tear or L5 radiculopathy OR my knees are doing it because they need to be replaced. But MY GUT tells me it's a Tear . I already had XRAY , if that doesn't show up on the Xray, I am going to try and get an MRI , that should show up. I remember my Orthopedic mentioned a year ago , one day I'll need a Hip Surgery , but he didn't go in detail about it .
Thank you for this. You are excellent at speaking cadence and valuable info. Particularly valuable, Dr. Harlow, is showing us visually the painful mistakes I make doing simple pt requested exercises. I give up easily. I don't fear good muscle burn, I fear age related joint damage. You are the absolute Best of all my video exercise people. Keeping you and deleting most others. So happy for your videos. 🙏👏
It's incredibly important to perform exercises correctly to avoid injury. This will make sure you benefit from the efforts you're making! I'm pleased my videos have been able to offer some useful information to keep you safe :)
Me too. I'm seventy two and my hip has become arthritic and the waddle showed up.. I try everything to stop waddling, but it's hard when the body knows the hip is hurt. Still, I've found that determined steps with arms swinging and picking up each foot in almost a march helps..Unfortunately, I must walk with total consciousness, so that I don't fall, but I'm hoping it becomes more natural. Plus, I try to walk everyday. Getting old sucks!
Opposite for me, walking fast I’ve faceplanted more than once. I’m a klutz and have bilateral Ménière’s disease. So, I take it a bit slower than I’d like.
I have a question about planks and you are the only one I trust for it: What is the correct way of planks? Do you have a video? There are too many variations of “correct” planks but I don’t know which one is safe and truly correct. Thank you in advance!
Yes, I have fallen and still don't quite know what happened, but I've come a long way since then ( April 2023). Thanks to your RUclips presentations. I would singularly attribute my tremendous progress to you. Thank you for your invaluable advice and tips.
Very helpful. Thank you. I always worry I’m not doing exercises correctly, but your easy to understand demos definitely make me feel more comfortable in tackling them. 👍
Absolutely, it's so important to make sure you're performing exercises properly to avoid injury - I'm pleased my videos have offered some helpful information to keep you safe!
I always walk fast, so was my father, guess I took after him, however, I found out by walking fast, when I did trip over, the force was so great that when I hit the ground, my whole body shoot forward so fast that I couldn’t use my hands to land on the ground first, resulting my face hitting the pavement first. I bruised my lips, my glasses twisted , my left knee was grazed and my right elbow was injured. I now walk slow, even in my house, I trip over in the kitchen floor the other day, my injuries were minimum. Now I walk less fast , still being careful!
As we get older we don’t lift our feet as high so I consciously make sure I lift my feet. If I’m in a strange place I am even more diligent and look like a Spanish horse lifting my feet.🤣🤣🤣
@@HT-Physioyes, it's a very helpful book and I recommend it to others too. But I have one question: I am 62 years old, with a grade 2 knee issue (as per my orthopedic), so is it OK for me to walk 7,000 steps daily? Is brisk walking OK for me? This is because you recommended brisk walking over slow walking
Dear doctor, my ankle sprained when I run fast and my foot hurt for two weeks, but when I walk slowly, my ankle does not sprain. I exercise every day to make my legs strong. Please tell me what to do so that my ankle does not sprain.
I used to have this if I got uneven ground, I'd read once that when walking put weight on the inside of your ankle and on the outside to help strengthen, it's easy and one only needs remembering, if you're spraining you're pushing it, don't and don't you hate that warm feeling which follows? I thought I'd over extended my ankle, tendon easily injured but I've slowed down and haven't twisted in yrs., I'm still very active but no need to be a hero, they're the ones who die at half marathons in their 50's with everyone saying but they were so fit! 😢
Have you tried specific ankle exercises and an ankle support, my husband uses one for his one weak ankle and gives him more confidence when walking for sure. Good luck.
Irregular ground and worn out shoes cause you to fall over far more than slow walking .. and not looking where you're going .. there's no ONE single thing ...
You been reading my mail! I was going to ask you for walking tips Also, do you have any tips for cycling and or swimming please?? As usual - many thanks iain
This is such an awesome video never thought walking slowly could cause you to fall. Thank you Dr. Harlow❤Got to get rock shake. Love your 3tip Friday always helpful and it’s free😅
You’re great and I really love your videos. Thank you so much for your help and your time; you really motivate me to want to do these exercises so I can help myself and they’re spot on with what I need. Your delivery and seeing you show us what to do makes for easy understanding. I am most grateful to you. Thank you 😘
Thank you so much for your kind comment - it's so great to hear my work has been so helpful and motivating! Keep up the great efforts you're making and I'm sending best wishes your way 😃
Thank you. So lovely to have your words of encouragement. I so need this right now and you, young man have a bright future ahead and I hope you go far! Best wishes 😘
I do most of these exercises every day. I have slowed down in my walking, but I’ve been trying to get faster. When I do the bridge, my left hamstring cramps every time. I can straighten my leg out and start over but then it cramps up again after five or six. Do I need to stretch my hamstring before doing the bridge, thanks so much for your great videos- Claudia
Hi Will I'm 64. Just had my second tumble in two months. Both were roots hooking one foot and my upper body reaction not being fast enough to save myself. I'm long sighted and wear glasses which means I am constantly scanning the 15 feet in front whilst also looking (head up) as far down the road as I can. So I sometimes miss the roots and round stones that can trip me. [I live in rural NZ] What can I do to improve my upper body strength to save myself if a foot gets fouled?
Perhaps talk to your optician to get glasses designed for walking? For overall and core strength to ‘catch’ yourself do the big five compound exercises. These are bench press(or pushups)overhead press, rows, leg press or weighted squat, and a pull down exercise. Get some good adjustable dumbbells or join a gym and use the machines. I trip quite often but I don’t fall. You can find advice about weight training all over the internet.
Used to wonder why old people walked with their legs splaided out. Now I know, it's not because muscles start to weaken, they weaken because of a slight case of vertigo. Even when seated, turn your head and you can't tell up from down. That's why it takes so much care and effort to get around safely. Never heard much about this, but understand after late 60's, it's fairly common
How to walk fast for those age 70 n above for u you can walk faster than those 70 n above,to perform n excises those routine is ok for some. Walking fast for those young adult is ok for older senoir walk according to your heart tell you.
Me and my sibling try to get our mother to do her exercises and she'll tell us "I'm 91 years old, I'm not doing that." She does use a rollator to get around.
I'm having the same problem with my mom-in-law. She keeps falling and she's lost her confidence. The PT gave her exercises to do but she doesn't do them! It makes me crazy!
This is a very good video. Thank you for the information! I will practice that. This obviously may not work for everyone, but I also have something to share that helped me. I'm 74 and walk a lot. I fell on my walk a couple of years ago - was fine but face planted with gravel in my face which already had poison ivy I was nursing so it wasn't fun but I was okay. Anyway, upon reflection I realized my sneaker-soled "walking" shoe actually got stuck for a split second when I put my foot down at just the wrong time on a crack and because my reaction time is a bit slower than when I was younger, I hadn't been able to recover my balance quick enough. Then I remembered a Nat Geo article years ago by a podiatrist who went to a rural mountainous area of Mexico where his family was from and where people went barefoot. He fully expected them to have a lot of foot problems and wanted to help. Turmed out they had way fewer problems with their feet than we do. SO since then I wear very flat thin-soled shoes where my feet nerves can feel the road and every nook and cranny. Made a HUGE difference! We also go along the rocky coast of New England where we used to run around as kids. We had been reduced to sitting diwn to move further down safely UNTIL we started doing it in bare feet. MUCH better balance etc. Just thought I'd share all that.
I'm an American guy that recently turned 69. In recent months, I became more serious about exercise. Will I like that you really seem to care about us seniors. Thank you for your informative channel and the work you put into it!
It's been a great honour for me to share my work with so many others, and to hear that people have found it helpful! Thank you for your comment, I'm wishing you all the best in your exercise journey :)
Like to think this would help but the state and condition of pavements and roads in towns are the cause of a lot of falls. The faster you walk the more damage you're likely to suffer in a fall.
I have MS and one of my legs has limited sensation and strength, consequently my other has lost strength too. So I can barely do five of these initial exercises ☹️
Doesn't matter how many you START with my friend, after a month, I guarantee you'll be doing more than 5! Keep at it and you can only STRENGTHEN those muscles, good luck
Also, I have found that the times I have almost tripped and fallen have been when I kept walking while I was looking around at something else like some birds, the sky, or a tree (which I like to do). I try to remember to stop first while doing so. It's best to look down at the path in front of you as much as possible too so you don't miss an uneven sidewalk or an unexpected obstacle. You might even misstep or not pick your foot up adequately. It also helps to relax your body and not hold yourself too stiffly.
Thank you for this advice. I suffer from Postural Proprioceptive Deficiency Syndrome (PDS) and severe dizziness. I walk slowly because I don’t want to fall. Do you have any extra helpful advice for me please.
MOVE and "swing" your arms when you walk and make it brisk. This is "Common Sense 101." When I bike, I take the same approach. Life is short, so take advantage of the time you have.
I’m 73 and used to be in great physical shape. Worked 35 years in the ED then I hit my 50’s and WOW…. Neck surgery lower back surgery. Knees started. Atrial fibrillation started TIA high blood pressure and on meds !!! Unfortunately or fortunately my mind was still feeling like the good old days. But my body not so much I’m going to try all these. I get one of my knees done next month. Thanks for your videos 🙏🏻
That explains it! Normally I walk quite quickly, but whenever I am in our small kitchen with someone else I suddenly get tippy...now I know why. also learned why doing that last excessive always kills my back..over extention. Thanks!
I fell... because of tripsing. CAUSE? The front of my shoes was staying in the ground, when small elevations or obstacles were ahead. Dangerous, annoying and probably caused by knee weakness, and of course stepping like "gliding". Then, I started to observe how young and healthy people walk. Only difference I noticed was that now I did not raise my toes when walking, which caused me to tripse. How have I (partially, I'll explain that in a moment) fixed that? I made a commitment to remember to raise my toes when walking, stopped continuously looking at the ground in front of me, raising my head and looking ahead more often. This caused walking to tire me somewhat more, and failed occasionally because of my starting dementia which causes me to once in a while forget about toe elevation. Overall, this was a great progress, so far in my 77 years of age, I rarely tripse. No matter how harder it is to walk now and the mental attention required, it became a lot safer. No exercises, no nothing, just... Attention to how to walk.
I have a rolling ankle and have been a fall risk since my 20’s…..I go down like a sack of potato’s ….ive never had broken bones but just bruising of my ego….😊 And yes I fall even when wearing support around my ankle
with a serious vestibular condition I guess this post doesn't apply to me. the two falls I've had in public (on concrete sidewalks), I've been walking fvery briskly.
Hi Will. Your advice is always what we "oldies" need. Thank you. However, I simply cannot find your contact details so that I can send you mine as I really would appreciate your Newsletter each week.😮
I am 71 lost right leg in accident. Below the knee,i had worked as a painter in a hospital and was very active when i turned 60 they gave me a sit downjob slowly i was geting out of shape at 70 they put me out to pasture my ability to walk distances is painful is there some xcercisin for amputees
What do you recommend for people with severe asthma where speed can cause breathing issues? It’s a tough call because there is a need to improve exercise to help breathing; a catch 22: any ideas?
Shuffling when you're walking is one of the biggest mistakes. You need to pick your feet up when you take steps, especially wearing tennis shoes.
Or joggers. Need to lift my feet up a little more. 😊
I turned 70 last Christmas.
As one who use to keep very fit I had let things slide badly since my 60th. Big mistake.
I really noticed that I was becoming weaker and less mobile
Two months ago I joined a gym. I go three times a week ( even when I don’t want to ) and have a trainer once a week.
I can already feel improvements and am waiting for that mythical muscle memory to return .. haha. Wish me luck !
I used to trip and break. When I took a yoga class at the gym, I found out my balance wasn’t good at all. ( good now). A fact I had never noticed.
EAT MORE MEAT. We metabolize protein less efficiently and lose muscle mass. Cut the carbs, eat the meat
Very nicely explained by you
I am 75+ in normal health, keep moving,like 1billion Indians vegetarian too
I now wish to take 5,000 years old Great Indian art of Yoga.Sage Patanjali recommended Yoga in those ancient time
Best wishes! I used to be very fit...I let things slide, about 1/2 through the Covid era. I'm FINALLY starting up again, gently.
@@lindac6919 during Covid ( like everyone else ) I started to bake. Cakes , bread, bagels … so I put on a stone (14 lbs) in weight. 😫It’s got to go. My clothes hate me. lol
Will, just found your video and I’ve subscribed. I’ve fallen twice, hard falls and I’m not sure. both required surgeries. I am anxious and fearful of walking fast and being alone. I feel your videos will help me. I read all the comments as well. it seems many of us are going through this. thank you!
Dankeschoen. I subed...you are so nice and helpful❣
Thank you sir for the fitness tips. God bless you!!!
Nah...will still be getting podiums on trail races thanks
What does this comment even mean in the context of this video?
@@carolinejohn4537 Probably a veteran athlete stating that they are running and beating everyone. So applaud them. Say at your age well done🎉😂😂
I'm 71 and a retired mechanical designer. Your grasp of the mechanics involved is spot-on, and your explanations are clear, concise, and enlightening. 👍👍
About 40 years ago, I read a slogan "When old age starts catching up, walk a little faster"...I remind myself each time I walk.
This is a fantastic adage! Thx
Great slogan!
Great advice. I’ll remember that..
Sure it would be ideal to walk faster but not when the sidewalks and streets got due to weather sneaky cracks n holes that r dangerous. I walk with a cane as have to. I look dwn n tread carefully. I have seen people fall n trip on terrible sidewalk conditions
I’m thinking of starting to walk around the high school running track. At least it smooth, unlike the sidewalks.
Thank you Will . I love your videos. You don't waist time with a lot of blah blah, you are concise and right to the point.
Thank you so much for your comment, I'm so pleased to hear you've enjoyed my videos :)
He doesn't waste time!We appreciate him as well! THANKS Will! Passing U on today to family in need!
Thank you. Recuperating from back surgery and these exercises are part of my therapy. Turned 80 in April. Keep up your great work!
Happy (belated) birthday! I'm wishing you all the best in your back surgery recovery :)
When hips, back, legs, and foot hurt with every step, it's more than difficult to walk fast.
Go zero carb....I am 65 and did this past three yrs. I now have zero pain , zero arthritis, zero inflammation. Last year felt so great started working out 4x a week
Glute Max exercises have quickly relieved the worst lower back pain ever; debilitating so extreme until I learned.
@@ByDesign333
Thanks for the tip.❤
Please, please, please do a video about foot drop. No one is taking this subject on yet many seniors have it and many don't have AFOs to wear. It's dangerous, affects balance, there's tripping over something as little as a pebble or the edge of a rug or a threshold. There *must* be some of your clients who have foot drop. Please make a video (or a few!) about foot drop and the resulting loss of dorsiflexion and the atrophy that results. They also rarely have calf strength. Tight Achilles, curled toes catching, can't wear heavy shoes, even socks slide off the foot.
Seconded 👍🏼
@@ellie698 Thank you! I hope he sees this and eventually covers it. There's almost no true info out there. I've found many people attempt to cover it, but they don't really seem to _actually_ get it, or _thoroughly_ get it, -- not intrinsically. It's more like they read a book about it, but don't really comprehend the complexities, all the way up the kinetic chain.
He does say that the one thing you must try to not lose is the ability to flex your ankle, so that your toes go toward your knees. Not in those words, necessarily, and I don't think he mentioned _foot drop_ as the issue, but he emphasized that move. I remember "foot drop" from back when I was young, and I was hoping to become a nurse. I felt so strongly about it, I subscribed to the _American Jourrnal of Nursing_ for two or three years. Foot drop is a big concern of conscientious nurses. They are all too familiar with it, and there were lots of instructions and tips to help keep it from developing.
@@lindajohnson4204 Pulling your toes up towards your knee is called "dorsiflexion." When one has the condition of "foot drop," they have nerve damage which totally prevents dorsiflexion. The foot actually drops in a plantar flexion position. It's droopy and there is zero ankle strength or mobility or control. It's a permanent condition and it leads to many further disabilities, difficulty walking, ambulating in ways that cause spine damage (or could even be caused DUE to spinal injury). It can also happen due to pressure on the peroneal nerve directly. The point is, the damage is done and there is an inability to move the foot from mid-shin down. No ankle mobility, no strength, and a constant tripping risk.
As a Licensed Neuro-Muscular Therapist, in active practice for 45 years, may I add my comment? The deep calf muscles, responsible for foot/ankle/toe movement, are bladder related. Keeping one’s water consumption up is critical. Drinking 3-4 oz of good filtered water every 15 minutes of each waking day will help to strengthen all your muscles. In about 2 months, you should notice a difference ! 😊
And keep your shoulders back, head and chin up to prevent hunching and straining the low back. 😊
Great tip. I do this & it helps me to walk a straight line.
One way or another, you have to balance every step.. When I'm feeling pretty strong, sure, faster is better than slower, and the forward momentum is past of the balance. But there are times I'm going to tumble if I try to go faster than I can balance, so I walk slower, and try to keep my balance from step to step. If I didn't, I would go head over heels, or maybe that should be heels over head. It's not just an ignorant notion,; I am doing what I need to at the moment.
Have you thought about using a rolling walker only for walking exercise. I also was told to walk with intention. In other words, I need to really pay attention to keeping good posture. That’s why I say using the walker for exercise. I think there’s a way to adjust the wheels so it doesn’t get away from you. I’m no pro, I’m only making suggestions of what helped me.
Does Wearing bifocal glasses make walking dangerous , especially while on stairs ? Does progressive glasses make walk and climbing stairs safer ?
I got progressives this year and I’m always off balance especially with stairs. Messes with my depth perception
I have had progressive bifocals for several years. I am very careful going down stairs. Glancing down can throw off depth perception. I am careful where I am looking as I go down the stairs.
Any glasses that have the reading prescription in the bottom of the lenses will make walking down stairs more difficult. The trick is to bend your head down and look out at an angle to the floor. This way, you are looking through the top of the glasses (distance Rx). Do not look at your feet! Also, hold on to the railing to steady yourself.
I always joke with our patients (I'm an optician) that they'll never see their feet again!😊
I live upstairs in a retirement village and observe many of the "Oldies" walking with a side-to-side waddle. Perhaps Will, you can address that issue for us, please.
Usually its hip problems. I have knee arthritis but didn't start "waddling" till I had hip arthritis.
Apparently it’s a sign of dementia.
Noticed at the gym that those who started to wobble needed knee or hip replacement. Exercising is better before things progress.
They may wobble from arthritis….
As a side note, my mom's gerontologist said that when seniors start falling, often their vit D is low. Keep a check on those values folks! Thanks for the video!
Best still, get out in the sunshine every day with as much skin exposed as possible (decency permitting hahaha)
Great tip!
Definitely get your vit D checked. Physio requested that for me and I was shocked at my result. Now on a large dose for 6 months.
@@annettecollis7569
I've had mine checked several times. Getting outside in the sun does more than just making vitamin D I'm sure.🙏🏻
Thanks!
Don't forget always bend slightly at the knees when walking. Sound obvious, but amazing how often we forget to do that. Locking the knees while walking is the #1 cause of falls in my experience.
Very true. That mistake cost me 3 falls in a year, very badly, but nothing breaks luckily. Bruises last over a year and pain from injury more than 6 months. Am ok after all, healing completely now but was scary that I can never exercise again. Learn a lesson to be more careful and using a flashlight at night
Thank you for all your videos. 70+ here and find them helpful for keeping me active. PS enjoying 3 tip Friday!
So great to hear you've found my videos and mail outs helpful - sending best wishes your way :)
Your videos are SO informative and useful 👍🏼
Thank you so much!
Just did this. Probably going too high at first then watched you carefully and managed 15. Phew! More hopefully tomorrow. Thanks Will. xx
A family member walks by shuffling her feet. She won't pick up her feet at all. She seems to think she's saving energy. I don't agree and I think it would be harder
I'm 8 weeks post hip replacement and feel quite anxious when walking in case i fall, your tips are brilliant to help with that. Many thanks.
I'm wishing you all the best in your rehabilitation - I hope my tips can support you in your recovery journey :)
Will, your advice and activities are always spot-on! You give this over 50 cancer survivor hope that I can have a productive life in my later years, and not feel like I’m held together with dried up elastic bands😊
I’m almost 76 years, I walked very most of time. On the time when I walked slowly it’s because I’m tired. Thanks again for giving me some advice on my daily routine, for a better aging experience.
Can i do thes exercises wearing knee compression socks?
Hope is the most important thing - and then consistency! I'm wishing you all the very best 😃
Thank you
Faye seunarine
I
Walk
Most
Of
Tthe
Time
To
Do
My
Shopping
Thank you inspirational and achievable for all the issues I have with mobility as an disabled 74 year old 🎉
I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with mobility issues - I hope my tips can offer some support!
Excellent advice and relevant exercises that can be implemented effectively.
Great to hear you found my suggestions practical!
That's exactly what I have Waddle Gait , walk side to side . And I believe my hip is the cause of it.
Me too, I started waddling when my hip arthritis kicked in not when I had knee arthritis
@@carolinejohn4537 Thank you for responding .
Did you end up having hip surgery ? I am in the process of figure out , what exactly I have, it's either ..Gluteus medius tendinopathy /tear or L5 radiculopathy OR my knees are doing it because they need to be replaced. But MY GUT tells me it's a Tear . I already had XRAY , if that doesn't show up on the Xray, I am going to try and get an MRI , that should show up. I remember my Orthopedic mentioned a year ago , one day I'll need a Hip Surgery , but he didn't go in detail about it .
Thank you for this. You are excellent at speaking cadence and valuable info. Particularly valuable, Dr. Harlow, is showing us visually the painful mistakes I make doing simple pt requested exercises. I give up easily. I don't fear good muscle burn, I fear age related joint damage. You are the absolute Best of all my video exercise people. Keeping you and deleting most others. So happy for your videos. 🙏👏
It's incredibly important to perform exercises correctly to avoid injury. This will make sure you benefit from the efforts you're making! I'm pleased my videos have been able to offer some useful information to keep you safe :)
Have you been watching me waddle along slowly? I'm 72 and have had a few falls. Will definitely be trying these exercises!! Thanks so much!!!
I'm glad my video came at the right time! I hope the exercises prove helpful :)
@@HT-Physio Thank you so much!!
@@HT-Physio
@@bettyjohnson2964y😅
Me too. I'm seventy two and my hip has become arthritic and the waddle showed up.. I try everything to stop waddling, but it's hard when the body knows the hip is hurt. Still, I've found that determined steps with arms swinging and picking up each foot in almost a march helps..Unfortunately, I must walk with total consciousness, so that I don't fall, but I'm hoping it becomes more natural. Plus, I try to walk everyday. Getting old sucks!
Opposite for me, walking fast I’ve faceplanted more than once. I’m a klutz and have bilateral Ménière’s disease. So, I take it a bit slower than I’d like.
Agree!
Agreed. Whenever I fall because of Menieres it's always backwards.
I have a question about planks and you are the only one I trust for it:
What is the correct way of planks? Do you have a video?
There are too many variations of “correct” planks but I don’t know which one is safe and truly correct.
Thank you in advance!
We'll give it a try. Sounds very important.
I hope it proves beneficial for you :)
Yes, I have fallen and still don't quite know what happened, but I've come a long way since then ( April 2023). Thanks to your RUclips presentations. I would singularly attribute my tremendous progress to you. Thank you for your invaluable advice and tips.
Very helpful. Thank you. I always worry I’m not doing exercises correctly, but your easy to understand demos definitely make me feel more comfortable in tackling them. 👍
Absolutely, it's so important to make sure you're performing exercises properly to avoid injury - I'm pleased my videos have offered some helpful information to keep you safe!
I always walk fast, so was my father, guess I took after him, however, I found out by walking fast, when I did trip over, the force was so great that when I hit the ground, my whole body shoot forward so fast that I couldn’t use my hands to land on the ground first, resulting my face hitting the pavement first. I bruised my lips, my glasses twisted , my left knee was grazed and my right elbow was injured. I now walk slow, even in my house, I trip over in the kitchen floor the other day, my injuries were minimum. Now I walk less fast , still being careful!
The bike analogy is the first thing I thought of.
Great minds think alike!
I wonder if there’s a substitute for the power bridge.
I can’t bend my knees and the one shown here would put too much stress on the knee joint.
I asked the Dr what is the most important thing I can do, to keep in good health throughout my senior life. He said: "DON'T FALL."
As we get older we don’t lift our feet as high so I consciously make sure I lift my feet. If I’m in a strange place I am even more diligent and look like a Spanish horse lifting my feet.🤣🤣🤣
Half the time we can’t see your feet!
I walk daily and do other exercises 3 times a week. Your videos help me do them correctly. Thank you,
Great work! So pleased to hear my videos help to keep you active :)
I watch his shows daily and I bought his book and also signed up weekly email
Thank you so much for supporting my work - I hope you've found it helpful 😃
@@HT-Physioyes, it's a very helpful book and I recommend it to others too. But I have one question: I am 62 years old, with a grade 2 knee issue (as per my orthopedic), so is it OK for me to walk 7,000 steps daily? Is brisk walking OK for me? This is because you recommended brisk walking over slow walking
Heel down first when walking….don’t shuffle feet forwards.
Dear doctor, my ankle sprained when I run fast and my foot hurt for two weeks, but when I walk slowly, my ankle does not sprain. I exercise every day to make my legs strong. Please tell me what to do so that my ankle does not sprain.
I used to have this if I got uneven ground, I'd read once that when walking put weight on the inside of your ankle and on the outside to help strengthen, it's easy and one only needs remembering, if you're spraining you're pushing it, don't and don't you hate that warm feeling which follows? I thought I'd over extended my ankle, tendon easily injured but I've slowed down and haven't twisted in yrs., I'm still very active but no need to be a hero, they're the ones who die at half marathons in their 50's with everyone saying but they were so fit! 😢
Have you tried specific ankle exercises and an ankle support, my husband uses one for his one weak ankle and gives him more confidence when walking for sure. Good luck.
I cannot walk fast at all. I get 10,000 steps in a day and feel great.
Irregular ground and worn out shoes cause you to fall over far more than slow walking .. and not looking where you're going .. there's no ONE single thing ...
Great information for seniors. I’m 66 and do these to strengthen my glutes. Amazingly Great❤❤❤
That's great to hear - keep up the great work :)
You been reading my mail! I was going to ask you for walking tips
Also, do you have any tips for cycling and or swimming please??
As usual - many thanks
iain
This is such an awesome video never thought walking slowly could cause you to fall. Thank you Dr. Harlow❤Got to get rock shake. Love your 3tip Friday always helpful and it’s free😅
So pleased to hear you enjoyed my video and that you've found my mail outs helpful!
Another very helpful tip thanks 😊
Happy to share!
I find cider make me unsteady so I need to do calve raises at the bar
You’re great and I really love your videos. Thank you so much for your help and your time; you really motivate me to want to do these exercises so I can help myself and they’re spot on with what I need. Your delivery and seeing you show us what to do makes for easy understanding. I am most grateful to you. Thank you 😘
Thank you so much for your kind comment - it's so great to hear my work has been so helpful and motivating! Keep up the great efforts you're making and I'm sending best wishes your way 😃
Thank you. So lovely to have your words of encouragement. I so need this right now and you, young man have a bright future ahead and I hope you go far! Best wishes 😘
Have been following along with your exercises and look forward to new ones each week. Thank you 🤗
So pleased to hear you've found the exercises helpful - thank you for watching!
That was excellent! Very clearly explained. I have subscribed. Many thanks! 👍
Thank you for subscribing!
Sadly, Bad knees , bad hips, spinal stenosis. I have to walk slowly.
I do most of these exercises every day. I have slowed down in my walking, but I’ve been trying to get faster. When I do the bridge, my left hamstring cramps every time. I can straighten my leg out and start over but then it cramps up again after five or six. Do I need to stretch my hamstring before doing the bridge, thanks so much for your great videos- Claudia
Have you thought about supplementing with magnesium bisglycinate? Cramping is often associated with a lack of magnesium in the body.
Hi Will
I'm 64. Just had my second tumble in two months. Both were roots hooking one foot and my upper body reaction not being fast enough to save myself. I'm long sighted and wear glasses which means I am constantly scanning the 15 feet in front whilst also looking (head up) as far down the road as I can. So I sometimes miss the roots and round stones that can trip me. [I live in rural NZ]
What can I do to improve my upper body strength to save myself if a foot gets fouled?
Have you thought of using walking poles?
Perhaps talk to your optician to get glasses designed for walking? For overall and core strength to ‘catch’ yourself do the big five compound exercises. These are bench press(or pushups)overhead press, rows, leg press or weighted squat, and a pull down exercise. Get some good adjustable dumbbells or join a gym and use the machines. I trip quite often but I don’t fall. You can find advice about weight training all over the internet.
Calcium and vitamin D 3 a must
Thank you for all your information 😊
Very happy to share!
Thanks 🙏. I am 76 years old and find your information very useful.
So pleased to hear you found it useful :)
Used to wonder why old people walked with their legs splaided out. Now I know, it's not because muscles start to weaken, they weaken because of a slight case of vertigo. Even when seated, turn your head and you can't tell up from down. That's why it takes so much care and effort to get around safely. Never heard much about this, but understand after late 60's, it's fairly common
This does not apply to people with neurological conditions.
When hiking stream crossings, faster definitely feels safer.
How to walk fast for those age 70 n above for u you can walk faster than those 70 n above,to perform n excises those routine is ok for some. Walking fast for those young adult is ok for older senoir walk according to your heart tell you.
Me and my sibling try to get our mother to do her exercises and she'll tell us "I'm 91 years old, I'm not doing that." She does use a rollator to get around.
I'm having the same problem with my mom-in-law. She keeps falling and she's lost her confidence. The PT gave her exercises to do but she doesn't do them! It makes me crazy!
This is a very good video. Thank you for the information! I will practice that.
This obviously may not work for everyone, but I also have something to share that helped me. I'm 74 and walk a lot. I fell on my walk a couple of years ago - was fine but face planted with gravel in my face which already had poison ivy I was nursing so it wasn't fun but I was okay. Anyway, upon reflection I realized my sneaker-soled "walking" shoe actually got stuck for a split second when I put my foot down at just the wrong time on a crack and because my reaction time is a bit slower than when I was younger, I hadn't been able to recover my balance quick enough. Then I remembered a Nat Geo article years ago by a podiatrist who went to a rural mountainous area of Mexico where his family was from and where people went barefoot. He fully expected them to have a lot of foot problems and wanted to help. Turmed out they had way fewer problems with their feet than we do. SO since then I wear very flat thin-soled shoes where my feet nerves can feel the road and every nook and cranny. Made a HUGE difference! We also go along the rocky coast of New England where we used to run around as kids. We had been reduced to sitting diwn to move further down safely UNTIL we started doing it in bare feet. MUCH better balance etc. Just thought I'd share all that.
Hey! I just found your channel and enjoyed the video!! I have subscribed and will be ordering your book! Thanks for the time and effort!!
It's my pleasure to help. Thank you for subscribing! I hope you find my book packed with valuable information 😃
I'm an American guy that recently turned 69. In recent months, I became more serious about exercise. Will I like that you really seem to care about us seniors. Thank you for your informative channel and the work you put into it!
It's been a great honour for me to share my work with so many others, and to hear that people have found it helpful! Thank you for your comment, I'm wishing you all the best in your exercise journey :)
Like to think this would help but the state and condition of pavements and roads in towns are the cause of a lot of falls. The faster you walk the more damage you're likely to suffer in a fall.
Also if you have exercises for scoliosis
Thank you!! This will help me.
Interesting tip. THANKS!
Happy to help :)
I have MS and one of my legs has limited sensation and strength, consequently my other has lost strength too.
So I can barely do five of these initial exercises ☹️
Doesn't matter how many you START with my friend, after a month, I guarantee you'll be doing more than 5! Keep at it and you can only STRENGTHEN those muscles, good luck
@@carolinejohn4537
Absolutely. Little by little.
One of my mottoes these days is "slow progress is still progress"
🤓👍🏼
Love your videos because they work! For this one, how many times per week do you recommend doing this?
THANK. YOU! I WILL. DO. IT.
Also, I have found that the times I have almost tripped and fallen have been when I kept walking while I was looking around at something else like some birds, the sky, or a tree (which I like to do). I try to remember to stop first while doing so. It's best to look down at the path in front of you as much as possible too so you don't miss an uneven sidewalk or an unexpected obstacle. You might even misstep or not pick your foot up adequately. It also helps to relax your body and not hold yourself too stiffly.
Thank you for this advice. I suffer from Postural Proprioceptive Deficiency Syndrome (PDS) and severe dizziness. I walk slowly because I don’t want to fall. Do you have any extra helpful advice for me please.
MOVE and "swing" your arms when you walk and make it brisk. This is "Common Sense 101." When I bike, I take the same approach. Life is short, so take advantage of the time you have.
Makes sense ❤
Thank you so much Will. Your exercises have improved my walking so much. Aussie Bob
That's so great to hear, I'm so pleased! Wishing you all the best Bob :)
I’m 73 and used to be in great physical shape. Worked 35 years in the ED then I hit my 50’s and WOW…. Neck surgery lower back surgery. Knees started. Atrial fibrillation started TIA high blood pressure and on meds !!! Unfortunately or fortunately my mind was still feeling like the good old days. But my body not so much
I’m going to try all these. I get one of my knees done next month. Thanks for your videos 🙏🏻
That explains it! Normally I walk quite quickly, but whenever I am in our small kitchen with someone else I suddenly get tippy...now I know why. also learned why doing that last excessive always kills my back..over extention. Thanks!
I'm pleased my video was able to shed light on what you've been experiencing!
I fell... because of tripsing. CAUSE? The front of my shoes was staying in the ground, when small elevations or obstacles were ahead. Dangerous, annoying and probably caused by knee weakness, and of course stepping like "gliding".
Then, I started to observe how young and healthy people walk. Only difference I noticed was that now I did not raise my toes when walking, which caused me to tripse.
How have I (partially, I'll explain that in a moment) fixed that? I made a commitment to remember to raise my toes when walking, stopped continuously looking at the ground in front of me, raising my head and looking ahead more often. This caused walking to tire me somewhat more, and failed occasionally because of my starting dementia which causes me to once in a while forget about toe elevation. Overall, this was a great progress, so far in my 77 years of age, I rarely tripse.
No matter how harder it is to walk now and the mental attention required, it became a lot safer. No exercises, no nothing, just... Attention to how to walk.
I have a rolling ankle and have been a fall risk since my 20’s…..I go down like a sack of potato’s ….ive never had broken bones but just bruising of my ego….😊
And yes I fall even when wearing support around my ankle
I’m 75 years old and have balance problems and use a walker. I have a high walker since I’m 6 foot five how can I do these exercises? Without falling
with a serious vestibular condition I guess this post doesn't apply to me. the two falls I've had in public (on concrete sidewalks), I've been walking fvery briskly.
This is why I can’t do walking tours in groups. The pace is so slow that i struggle not to lose my balance.
That's very true!
Hi Will. Your advice is always what we "oldies" need. Thank you.
However, I simply cannot find your contact details so that I can send you mine as I really would appreciate your Newsletter each week.😮
New subscriber! I still remember that video you did for lifting your leg and helping me keep from tripping over my feet. Because I did before that.
Im disabled fell broke my right knee right hip right thumb wasn't walking fast just normally walk with a stick new knee and hip 11months of pain
Thank you. Very very helpful. I will pass these tips to my friends. 👍
Thank you for sharing my work - I hope your friends find it useful!
I’m recovering from spinal and cataract surgeries. This is a good tip for me though my mismatched vision makes balance and depth perception tricky.
I’m 88 and if you want to make things clear stop using all your hands and body it just blur’s everything. I could not watch or listen to you.
I am 71 lost right leg in accident. Below the knee,i had worked as a painter in a hospital and was very active when i turned 60 they gave me a sit downjob slowly i was geting out of shape at 70 they put me out to pasture my ability to walk distances is painful is there some xcercisin for amputees
I want the 3 tip Friday but don't want a bunch of unknown people having my email address
Having a cat that plops down on floor when unexpected!@...keeps me aware!
Good luck to anyone with Achilles tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis! Young physios are cruel
Neuropathy in the feet leads to uncertainty in stepping which contributes to slow walking.
What do you recommend for people with severe asthma where speed can cause breathing issues? It’s a tough call because there is a need to improve exercise to help breathing; a catch 22: any ideas?