Why staying active is key to thriving at home
Owners, Lorna and Peter Bath share some learning from attending the 2025 Move It Or Lose It conference and a presentation from The University of Nottingham.
The challenge of muscle loss with age
When owners Lorna and Peter Bath attended the Move It or Lose It conference, the message from Paul Greenhaff from the University of Nottingham was clear: Staying strong isn’t just about adding years to your life but adding life to your years.
Research shared at the conference showed striking research which shows how healthy muscle in a younger person changes over the years. The difference isn’t just the size of the muscle but also the strength and quality of the muscle. From around the age of 40, people naturally lose 2%-3% of muscle mass every year. Excessive muscle loss, exacerbated by inactivity is called sarcopenia and affects over half of people in their later years and it can have an impact on everyday tasks such as standing from a chair or walking to the shops. Without any intervention, this decline can lead to falls and hospital admissions.
The good news is that these risks can be reduced, and even partly reversed by activating the muscles with simple movement and exercise. This is why Home Instead offers exercise sessions, activities and outings as well as involving clients in everyday activities around the house. Encouraging someone to get up from their chair is actually more caring than taking over and allowing them to sit and watch.
Practical strategies to stay stronger for longer
The research presented at conference highlighted that everyone can take steps to stay stronger and more resilient.
- Resistance exercise is better than passive movement. This is why at Home Instead we use the proven Move It Or Lose It Method of exercise combining seated or standing exercises with and without resistance bands.
- Walking is a great way to maintain muscle mass in the legs. Just 6,000 – 8,000 steps per day for older adults lowers the risk of early death.
- Speed matters too. Older adults who walk faster than 2 miles per hour actually live longer than people who walk slower.
- Protein supports muscle growth and muscle maintenance. Older adults need higher-quality protein. 25g per portion is considered an optimal amount.
What this means for home care
Opportunities
For us at Home Instead (Stourbridge, Hagley and Halesowen), this knowledge is vital. Care isn’t just about medication reminders or preparing meals – it is about helping clients to MOVE MORE, SIT LESS AND BUILD STRENGTH.
That could mean:
- Encouraging a daily walk with a Care Professional.
- Attending our weekly group exercise class at Hagley Community Centre
- Supporting gentle resistance exercise at home.
- Turning everyday activities – like standing from a chair, carrying the shopping or doing household chores – into opportunities for strength building.
Our commitment
Attending the Move It or Lose It conference reaffirmed what drives our philosophy: ensuring that every person we care for has the chance to get the best out of each and every day. With the right encouragement, support and evidence-based care, ageing doesn’t necessarily mean decline in quality of life.
At Home Instead we are proud to lead the way in home care that champions staying active and living each day to the full, because staying active truly means staying independent and allows people to be in the place they love most, in their own home.
