Exercise is beneficial to everyone, but especially for senior populations. Enjoying your golden years should have as few complications as possible.
Currently, only 31% of persons between the age of 65-74 are physically active and that drops to 20% by the age of 75! And, it doesn’t help that the advice coming from health care professionals is to be leisurely and relaxed.
The more we move, the more our brain, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system are stimulated. The more they are stimulated, the greater their function and control. It’s a win-win situation. So why don’t the elderly do more activity? Well, it comes down to risk, co-morbidities, energy levels, and a lack of professional support systems.
Risk
Many seniors may avoid exercise because of a fear of injury or falling. There may also be some apprehension due to previous injuries. Many seniors struggle to maintain their balance, coordination and strength as they get older. These are the leading risks for injury in seniors. Biokineticists are able to educate and prescribe specific exercises to improve and reduce these risks.
Comorbidities
Comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and dementia, to name a few, require increased medication. This may affect one's ability to tolerate exercise and therefore increases reluctance to participate in even the simplest forms of exercise. Supervised and structured exercise can help overcome this.
Energy levels
Due to increased medication, reduced endurance, space confinement, and a diminishing independence, many older individuals feel tired and despondent, which doesn’t inspire activity.
Lack of professional support systems
Surviving on a pension and moving to a retirement village or care home potentially means a reduced income. Many seniors don’t know that there are healthcare professionals, such as Biokineticists, who are qualified in designing and prescribing exercises for people based on their age, ability and lifestyle.
The exercise guidelines for healthy living are 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. This can incorporate some form of cardio, balance, flexibility and resistance training. If you would like some home based exercise to start with, try the following free online videos on our YouTube channel - Rehab with Rogan.
If you or a loved one are seeking to improve an injury, reduce the risk of falling, or are simply needing to take control of the golden years, please contact a Biokineticist to make a booking.
Are you in your Golden Years? Golf, water aerobics, or bowls? We would love to hear what your favourite form of exercise is in the comment section below.
Interesting article Tash, thanks for sharing it.