A BODY IN MOTION STAYS IN MOTION

Sir Isaac Newton got it right with his First Law of Motion.

I’m finding – as I get older and work with older adults – that there are two distinct schools of thought.

One – as I age, I will need to find a living situation to accommodate my aging body. Most often, I hear about moving to a one story home with no stairs.

The other – as I age, I will be proactive. If I never climb stairs, eventually I won’t be able to at all. I’ve heard the argument that there should be stairs in your home for this reason.

Here are some thoughts on this from a Facebook group:

A body in motion will stay in motion. My parents bought a 1 story with an elevator and neither of them can do much now. I blame retirement where they don’t do much and the lack of movement. Not saying it’s all because they live in a ranch house but it hasn’t helped.

I am 52 and my husband is 60. Neither of us feel like we should have children that are 30, 29, and 25 because we feel like we’re still in our late 30’s early 40’s! Lol **however, we did purchase our forever RANCH home a few years ago**

I’m 50 and I feel great. But…I will say that my next house will be a ranch because I know at some point I’m sure I’ll get tired of the stairs. I’m pretty sure I won’t feel the same at 75 as I do right now.

My parents are mid-80s and have a three level house. Exercise is good!

I’m 47 and moved into a Ranch home 2 yrs ago. We really miss the second story. My parents live in a 2 story and it’s the only way they get exercise during Quarantine. They are mid 70’s.

What are your thoughts?

Mine are:

Being proactive with your health is imperative. And anything you can do to take control of how you age – including exercise and nutrition – is a gift to yourself and your loved ones.

Having stairs in your home can make this a convenient way to stay active.

However, accommodations for illness and injury need to be accounted for, as well (maybe a first floor bedroom, a chair lift for stairs, etc).

I’d love to hear your thoughts!