Many people are concerned about their mother’s health and increasing lack of mobility. Is it all right to leave mum to enjoy her old age in a chair or is it in her best interest to try to get her up and about and fitter?
The answer is that it is never too late to start and even gentle regular exercise can substantially improve health and mobility.
It is more difficult for ladies in their 50s and 60s who have never exercised before to get started but they will be amazed at the benefits in terms of energy, health and general enjoyment of life. So it is never too late to get started. We are all living longer and we want to enjoy those extra years with full mobility. Previous generations did not exercise so mum probably will need a bit of company and encouragement to get started and it is vitally important to start very gently.
So if you are in your 50s or 60s and you notice you are starting to puff when going up a flight of stairs you need to take action now otherwise you are heading for Zimmer frames and walking sticks. Fitness is the key to independent living. The single most important thing we can do as we age is to take exercise. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it you will lose it.
The benefits
Women in their 70s who keep active could be dodging painful arthritis symptoms, according to research published in Arthritis Research and Therapy. Doctors say that in the early stages of the disease you can still improve stiff joints with exercise. Exercise provides oxygen to the brain and stimulates the circuits in the brain. This can slow the onset of dementia even better than drugs.
Swimming is good for the circulation, heart and internal organs. Walking is also good for your heart. A daily walk is the oldest and one of the best ways to regulate your heart beat. Exercise helps keep your bones strong as they can weaken especially for us women as we grow older. Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become thin and weak, causing over 230,000 fractures in the United Kingdom every year as a result. Osteoporosis affects about 20% of women aged 60-69.
Even moderate aerobic activity five times a week can lower blood pressure by 4-9mm Hg. Being active will also help you to keep to a healthy weight, which is also good news for your blood pressure.
How to get started
I believe everyone should start the day with a bit of stretching and a few gentle exercises to get the circulation going and to start the day well. If you look at animals, they instinctively yawn and stretch as they get out of their basket to start the day.
Even before you get out of bed you can start by gentle circling your hands and feet.
I have exercises for all: whatever your level of fitness there is no escape.
Email me [email protected] for exercises that can be done in bed. Chair exercises are available from [email protected], and my Mini-Morning Workout, which has recently been voted top morning workout, from [email protected]. It warms up all your muscles so that you are less likely to pull a muscle during your day. A daily walk is the oldest and one of the best ways to regulate your heart beat and a must for all. Once you get started you will feel so much better and want to do more so you may even see mum out for a run!
Ask Alva
I’m 50 years old, I weigh 80 kilos I’ve put on 15 kilos in weight the last three years. After watching all the programs on television — food, diets — I’m trying to change my food. My daughters and my doctor are encouraging me to walk. Now I tried walking to the park, but I was completely out of breath and I needed to sit on the seat by a bus stop and then I came back home and I was all aches and pains. Is this normal? My daughters keep saying well you will get aches and pains, but the more walking you do it’ll get better. Will it get better? — Zeinab
Well done for getting started. Try to walk for 10 minutes every day. You will soon feel much better because this will help you boost your circulation and help you to lose weight. Email me at the address above and I will send you a copy of my Mini-Morning Workout and healthy eating guide. As you will have read in the above article exercise on a regular basis is so good for the body and mind. A small daily commitment has a big payoff. — Alva
