Getting back to exercise and successful ageing
Posted on 28th February 2021 at 20:25
Successful ageing is a term often used in literature which is more or less defined as good health in later life.
It is becoming increasingly evident that successful ageing is directly influenced by the activity and exercise we do during the middle years of our life. Less activity makes us more susceptible to conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer that impair life whereas a more active life can protect us from developing these conditions as well as improve mental well-being.
From a Musculo-skeletal point of view, staying active helps maintain muscle strength, power, and endurance whereas a reduction in these parameters can make us susceptible to injury or pain. This is why it is so important to introduce workout routines for older adults into your daily life.
Exercises for Older People Following Lockdown
Due to the pandemic many of us have been forced to stop our regular attendances to the gym, swimming pools and exercise classes and have not had the motivation to find alternative forms of exercise participation.
If you have become sedentary over lock down and are planning to get back to your pre-lock down participation in gym or exercise classes, now is the time to think about increasing your activity levels. This should be done gradually, start at 50% of what you would normally do and build up by 10% each week to prepare yourself for when exercise facilities will be able to open. There are endless types of exercises for older people of all abilities that you can start to take part in and build up your fitness.
Restrictions on what we have been able to do over the last year has made it easy for us to become demotivated to exercise, remind yourself of how good exercise makes you feel and try hard to get your exercise routine back. It would be a pity if what we have had to endure over the last year has a detrimental effect on our health in the future and our ability to enjoy life in our later years.
If you need help on your return to exercise or would like some recommendations of suitable exercises for older people, our physios are always happy to assist.
Author
Craig Fowlie
Craig is a highly specialized physiotherapist with post graduate qualifications in Acupuncture and Sports and Exercise Medicine.
He has worked with Professional Rugby sides in New Zealand and has assisted Great Britain Table Tennis at the World Team Championships and Olympic Qualifiers in Qatar and Germany. He is a consultant for the Governments Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme and has published and presented research in the Journal of Physiotherapy and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Annual Conference.
Outside of work he enjoys participating socially in triathlon and running.
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