Some seniors sleep easily and often, but others find it difficult to fall or even stay asleep. Reasons vary, but common ones include medical conditions, pain, medications, and stress. Solutions also vary. Simply limiting caffeine may do the trick for some. Other seniors turn to sleep medication, which isn’t necessarily a bad choice but can come with harmful side effects and is often unnecessary.

One of the best solutions is more exercise. Even if seniors have limited mobility, they can still get out and exercise with the help of a mobility aid. Canes are one popular choice. Those who need more support might try a rollator or rolling walker, which allows for greater mobility than a traditional walker although not quite as much support.

Even walking 10 minutes each day can make huge improvements to your sleep. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 76%-83% of exercisers say the quality of their sleep is “very good or fairly good.” But only 56% of non-exercisers claim this. In fact, the poll found that simply not sitting as long during the day led to better sleep. Only 12%-15% of those who sit for 8 or more hours a day claim to get “very good” sleep.

So no matter what age you are, living more actively with the help of a mobility aid can help you get more and better quality sleep.