Elvis Presley seldom shook, rattled and rolled into the hearts of an impressionable generation. Many older Australians have suddenly come to the understanding that keeping hips healthy is really just about the exercises that we’re not doing. Annually, more than 16,000 Australians aged 45 and older suffer a hip fracture. This startling statistic points to an emerging public health crisis that experts are calling on the public to pay attention to.
Physiotherapy practitioners specifically have drilled home the importance of keeping your gluteal and abdominal stabilizing muscles in peak condition for optimal hip health. With 90% of hip fracture patients requiring surgery and approximately one-quarter of those who experience their first fracture dying within a year, the message is clear: prevention is essential. Leading physiotherapists from various universities are advocating for easy exercises that can significantly improve hip stability and overall functional health.
Importance of Regular Exercise
Experts will tell you that the simplest of movements can make all the difference in hip health. According to leader research physiotherapist Professor Rana Hinman, from the University of Melbourne, tackling the lack of high levels of physical activity is crucial.
“Even for every extra 1,000 steps that you can do, we’re seeing it now with mortality benefits, cardiovascular benefits, and we see it with osteoarthritis, with knowing that we can prevent functional decline over time as well,” – Professor Rana Hinman
Here, Dr. Michael O’Brien of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, underscores the key principle. Most people don’t realize how crucial hip mobility is until they begin experiencing pain or limitations. In order to illustrate this point, Till explains that activities we already do every day can be opportunities for exercising.
“A lot of people when they’re putting their underwear on or shoes or socks, will try and stand on one leg as they do that,” – Dr. Michael O’Brien
Even basic things like standing on one leg while doing other activities can help build balance and stability.
The Role of Targeted Exercises
Physiotherapists have been pushing for targeted exercises that are focused on strengthening the hip area. Dr. Jillian Eyles from the University of Sydney advises incorporating simple, practical exercises into your daily routine. Although they don’t sound sexy, they’re delivering impactful results!
“The tiny, boring [glute exercises] actually really hurt [in terms of fatiguing muscles] and they’re really boring … [but] they’re the ones that are really helpful,” – Dr. Jillian Eyles
These ankle and hip exercises directly activate your gluteal and abdominal muscles. They are unique and very important to the body as they hold your hip joints together and help prevent injuries.
In addition to getting older adults moving again, Professor Hinman helps to comfort and reassure seniors about physical activity.
“Generally there’s no evidence that physical activity is going to make your X-rays worse, for example, or push you to needing joint replacement surgery quicker,” – Professor Rana Hinman
This view urges older adults to be more active while avoiding the anxiety of worsening current ailments.
The Need for Awareness
Even with these high statistics about hip fractures in older Australians, very few people are aware of what they can do to prevent one. Given the risk of serious health complications after sustaining a fracture, there is clearly a need for more public education.
One of our recent interviewees reflected on the difficult path of aging people trying to stay active and engaged.
“Ten thousand was a really scary number, I think even for someone who didn’t have health problems … and for someone with joint pain, or someone who’s older, that’s just an unachievable goal,” – Interviewee
This feeling makes all the more clear the need to encourage fun, achievable forms of movement that meet people where they are, instead of focusing on challenging fitness milestones.