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Special Advertising Section | Sunday, October 19, 2025 11It doesn%u2019t have to be miles of walking to be effective. Breaking up your movement into smaller chunks is fine, Ness-Cohn says. Make a goal, and work toward it. It might be walking to the mailbox and back. It might be walking 3 miles.Bryant says adding strength training to ensure upper body and core strength a couple times a week is important, too. The weights can be light, 2 to 5 pounds.He has a current client who was wheelchair-bound when they met and had been told he would never walk again. He was dejected. But they made small goals and improvements. Today, that 80-year-old walks without a cane and without a walker.If you need assistance, use itDr. Jenny Roraback-Carson runs a fall clinic at the University of Washington and says that people often object to using canes or walkers. It makes them feel old, or they worry about being pitied. Many would rather isolate themselves than make use of these tools, she says. %u201cDon%u2019t internalize the stigma,%u201d RorabackCarson says. %u201cThese are tools to keep you upright, and falls are the biggest threat to independence.%u201dIf you don%u2019t like the look of a cane, search for a pretty one or a walking stick. Consider trekking poles, which appear more sporty. Be sure to have a health care provider or specialist properly fit you. A tool of the wrong height can lead to other problems, like a sore back or side muscles.Carla Prater, 70, had to convince her 95-year-old mother to use both a cane and a walker. Prater bought her a lovely walking stick on a trip to Taiwan, and her mom made happy use of that.Prater herself has used a walker for three years. She has a teal three-wheeled model that%u2019s easy to fold up. It%u2019s heavier than her mom%u2019s purple one, but she likes how easy it is to collapse and fold into her car.She was not happy about the prospect of using assistive devices but decided it was better to focus on where she was, Aging happens to everyone, despite our best efforts to take preventative measures. Illness and injury %u2014 and treatments for them %u2014 can lead to a decline in mobility, leading to less overall movement. It%u2019s a negative feedback loop, says Dr. Tali NessCohn, a certified mobility specialist and doctor of occupational therapy.Walking longer distances and up and down stairs becomes more daunting and dangerous, she says. Getting in and out of the shower can be fraught. %u201cWe kind of take for granted how easy these things were,%u201d Ness-Cohn says. %u201cIt can become a big issue over time.%u201d There are ways to combat these changes and even bring back some lost abilities. These strategies can help.Go climb a flightIf you have stairs, keep using them. If you don%u2019t, find some to use regularly.%u201cDon%u2019t avoid stairs, because if you don%u2019t use them, you can quickly lose the ability to do so,%u201d Ness-Cohn says. %u201cBut use the railings.%u201d If you have stairs in your home with a railing on one side only, consider installing a second railing on the opposite side. For those who are just starting their fitness journey and don%u2019t usually use stairs, start by climbing them with a friend.Go a little furtherExercise is often viewed as a bad word or a scary word, says Mark Bryant, an exercise therapist who has worked with seniors at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center for 20 years and hosts Fitness Corner on Rainier Avenue Radio. He says people come in with all sorts of reasons why they can%u2019t exercise. %u201cI always ask them what they can do, and we go from there,%u201d Bryant says. Continued on next page Bestyears REAL TALKI always ask them what they can do, and we go from there.Mark Bryant Exercise therapist and Rainier Avenue Radio hostJaqi Henderson uses the walking stick her daughter bought her from Taiwan for mobility support. (Courtesy of Mike Lindell)