Contents - 3 minute read:

• Inform - Why keeping fit is to live your best life .

• Motivate - 5 UK athletes that achieve despite the challenges

• Celebrate - Meet Carol and Pauline , who crush their fitness goals in different ways

We all have a vision of how we want to spend our days. It might be travelling the world, spending long Summer afternoons digging in the vegetable patch, or playing a game of bowls with friends. Whatever your vision of the future is , you will need the strength and stamina to perform the tasks required. As a physiotherapist, I always ask clients what their goals are . Once you have established what tasks you need your body to do, the next step is to break down those tasks and practice them. All too often, people stop enjoying hobbies or put limitations on themselves as they start to feel their physical health declining.

Good news, you don’t have to stop doing the things you love , you just need to train for them. Just as your grandchild heads off to football practice, you should schedule time to train your body to fulfil all the tasks you require of it. You are not alone !

Here is a list of the activities that often limit people from enjoying life , all of which can be trained for :

• Climbing the stairs

• Keeping your balance to get of the bus

• Getting up of the floor

• Putting your luggage in overhead compartments

• Lifting your luggage from the airport carousel

• Getting out of the bath

• Getting out of a car

• You will need the ability to get onto all fours, so practice this on your bed first , from lying on your back , turn onto your side or your stomach and come onto all fours - if you can do this you are ready to head to the floor .

• Plan the task in advance , choose a soft floor and have your footstool close by

• Rehearse with a family member if you haven’t been on the floor for a while then they can help you if you need

• Shuffle yourself close to the footstool you have prepared

• Move from your sitting , lying position onto all fours as you practised on your bed

• Place one foot on the floor in an half kneeling position , push with your hand as you push simultaneously with your leg

• Bring yourself into standing or sitting in the chair

Once you break down a task into the sum of its parts then each step can be rehearsed until it is a piece of cake and you can get on with living your life. Take a few moments over a cup of tea 😄 and jot down those tasks that have started to become tricky, then implement a plan to practise them. You don’t have to do it alone, you can start at your local pilates class, break down your tasks in the gym, join a Tai Chi class if balance needs addressing - so many opportunities . But I have a disability or you don’t know my circumstances I hear you cry! Everybody can train their bodies to be better at tasks, even if you need a bit of creativity to adapt. See the Motivation section below for examples of those who have had struggles just like you but have managed to get stronger and fitter . You can do it , I know you can 😅 If you want to watch me demonstrate how to get up from the floor find the link by pressing the button .

Over the next few weeks I will be adding a How To page to the Agefit Daily Website with guidance on how to break down daily tasks into actionable steps. Hit subscribe to ensure you stay up to date

Wednesday's exercises involve practising standing on one leg, an essential skill for balancing. Press the button and give them a try !

Sometimes we think our daily struggles are insurmountable so it is always good to get a little inspiration . The list below shows 5 amazing athletes who are extremely successful despite the odds. If they can do it - so can you! 😃 

1. David Weir the WeirWolf - a wheelchair racer who made his Paralympic debut in Atlanta aged 17 and won his first medals in Athens in 2004¹.

2. Maisie Summers-Newton - a Northampton swimmer with achondroplasia who is already a world and European champion and a world record holder¹.

3. Dave Ellis - a visually impaired athlete who started his Paralympic Games journey as a swimmer at the 2008 Games in Beijing, but narrowly missed out on selection for London. He then switched to triathlon¹.

4. Mike Kenny who was paralysed from a fall from a ladder - tops Britain’s roll of honor with 16 swimming gold medals².

5. Tanni Grey-Thompson who has spina bifida and has used a wheelchair since age 7 - a trailblazer for Great Britain across five Games, Grey-Thompson won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds² .

Finally , let’s meet those who are crushing their own goals and serve as an inspiration to others. You can achieve whatever your age or challenge. These two amazing ladies have kindly agreed to share their achievements with you.

Meet Pauline Darlington Adeleke, who at 70 years old is strong and unstoppable. Follow her on Instagram to help keep you motivated .

paulineadeleke

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Meet Carol, who with her personal trainer , Nando, has adapted her exercise regime despite her having a stroke - there is no excuse friend 😁 

nandopersonal

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Are you active and would like to feature here? We would love to hear from you! Get in touch, preferably with a picture so we can celebrate and promote you living your best life. Just reply to this newsletter