6 minute read
HEALTH
Exercising in older age
For many people, exercise and nutrition are common for a New Year’s resolution topic. People are full of good intentions and flood into the gym and get started on a new and healthier lifestyles.
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It is something important to work towards and some of these people are successful in working towards a healthier lifestyle, but some lose sight of their good intentions and fall back into old habits and unhealthy patterns.
If a healthier New Year is what you want, keep that desire strong throughout the year. New habits are not born overnight; you have to keep working at them.
According to new research, just a minute of exercise a week can drastically improve the general function of over 65s. So, doing something - even if it’s just for a minute - really is better than nothing.
Staying active helps to improve physical ability, and make daily tasks, such as getting up to answer the door - that bit easier.
The way people talk about exercise, you’d think it could cure anything at all; it’s been proven to reverse physical decline, protect your brain, improve your mood, and keep your heart healthy. Even if you have never exercised before, it’s never too late to begin… In fact, research suggests taking up exercise after retirement can help to prolong your life , increasing your chances of living until 90. It’s even been called a miracle drug. The NHS recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week at a moderate intensity (or 75 minutes at a vigorous intensity). Surprisingly however, only 2% of older adults in Britain achieve this. A mixture of cardio and strengthbuilding exercise is recommended.
Benefits of cardiovascular exercise
Cardio raises the heart rate, getting blood pumping around your body and the sweat flowing. Its role in maintaining and improving heart health could hold the key to preventing cognitive impairment as we grow older.
Some parts of the heart can stiffen with age, with the left chamber more susceptible to age-related damage. This is crucial, as the left ventricle is responsible for pumping freshly oxygenated blood around the body, including to the brain. In turn, the parts of the brain that are susceptible to low blood flow affect memory and are also affected by Alzheimer’s. So a healthy heart really does mean a healthy mind.
Aerobic fitness can even improve your ability to communicate, with recent research showing that the more exercise you do, the less likely you are to be searching for that word.
Benefits of strength training
The benefits of strength training are many-fold for all ages. Strength training fights the effects of aging by strengthening muscles and increasing muscle mass. This is important because you lose between five to seven pounds of muscle every decade after the age of 20, and strength training is the only way to counteract that loss.
Increasing functional fitness helps with everyday tasks, improving balance and core stability, making you less susceptible to a fall. It can help reduce symptoms of osteoporosis and lower back pain, common in older people. It can also improve the quality of your sleep, posture and make you feel more in tune with your body.
Exercise ideas for getting started
l Swimming. This is a fantastic option as it’s non-weight bearing so it takes the pressure off your joints, while still offering the benefits of a cardio workout. It can be a group activity too, and meeting up with others to exercise is sure to brighten your mood further. If you’re feeling brave, you could even try cold water swimming, which this 76 year old swimmer has said makes her heart beat “like a hammer” and she hasn’t been ill in 25 years
l Find exercise in every day. Even tasks like carrying home the shopping, gardening and gentle housework benefit the body as they create movement. Activity like this also replaces (or breaks up) sedentary time, which has been claimed to be as dangerous for our health as smoking.
Yoga or Pilates. These can be really beneficial for flexibility, core stability and strength, which are key to maintaining independence and preventing falls. They can also be done in a class with others or, if you prefer there are plenty of online YouTube channels where you can bring the workout into your living room
l Exercise for balance. Regular exercise such as Thai Chi and walking can reduce the risk of a fall by 12% in people over 65.
l Cycling Cycling is fun - and it’s a great family activity. But by making cycling part of your - routine, you will be doing some great things for your body and giving you a sense of wellbeing that you’ll never find in front of the TV.
Cycling is an aerobic activity, which means your heart, lungs and blood vessels all get a work-out. Over time, cycling will reduce your blood pressure and your resting heart rate.
l E-bikes E-bikes have loads of benefits including a healthy lifestyle, lowering commuting costs and cut down commute times.
Regular exercise is well documented in helping improve many aspects of life, and decreasing the risk of serious health issues. Just a few of the benefits of regular exercise can be:
- up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke - up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes - up to a 50% lower risk of colon cancer - up to a 20% lower risk of breast cancer - a 30% lower risk of early death - up to an 83% lower risk of osteoarthritis - up to a 68% lower risk of hip fracture - up to a 30% lower risk of depression - up to a 30% lower risk of dementia
l Commuting With e-bikes you can forget the woes of arriving to work sweaty or contending with the ascents, leaving you with the best bits of cycling. No more sitting in traffic, just A to B with minimal fuss. With the added assistance you’ll likely find yourself becoming more ambitious with the regularity and distance you start to ride too.
Lots of e-bike riders use an electric bike purely for the fun-factor. It can be an exciting experience on an electric assisted cycle. The feeling of the assistance adding to what you do on a bike is really exhilarating.
Be it on a Sunday afternoon countryside ride with the family, or a fully blown mountain bike expedition, which of course you get whatever you ride up, you get to come back down.
It’s important that whatever stage of fitness you feel you are, you begin within your capabilities. Start slowly, and build up from there, ensuring a mix of cardio, strength and flexibility. Try and find something you like, as you’re far more likely to stick at something you enjoy - and it could even double up as a social occasion!
ELECTRIC BIKES ARE NOT JUST FOR HOLIDAYS
Swindon’s largest selection of electric bicycles. NEW LARGE WORKSHOP OPENING SOON
Here at e-motion we’re in our 11th year and stock 8 of the very best e-bike brands. E-bikes cut the cost of your commute, help increase fi tness levels and safeguard the environment.
Do you own an e-bike and wish you could ride out occasionally with like minded people? You’re in luck. Our E-motional Social rides are on the 1st Sunday of each month and take in a new route each time. If you don’t have an e-bike and fancy a go we’ll loan you one for the morning. So if you're wondering what all the fuss is about and fancy a go on an electric bike we’ll loan you one for a test ride from the shop or if you want to go further, join us for 2 to 3 hours on a Sunday morning. To reserve a spot call and ask for me, Mark.
