I am sure their are many of you with old parents or grandparents who are inactive and whose health is deteriorating. Then again, many of you will have parents like my father, who in the late 1970s was a footballer. And even though he is getting old, he still knows the importance of exercise.

Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia aims to promote increased participation in sport and this includes the elderly. 

But how can we encourage them to become more active? 

Using social media is a great way for getting children off the sofa and onto the sports field, but it does not work in the same way for older people. Saudi Arabia is a young country dominated by 15 to 25-year-olds. But according to the General Authority of Statistics, there are over a million people in the Kingdom over the age of 65 and we need to make sure they are not left behind in the drive to become a fitter, more healthy nation. 

We need to target the places older people visit, such as parks and mosques. The family-oriented nature of Saudi society encourages gathering at the homes of the elderly at least once a week, but we still have people with no families or people who check up on them. 

Sport is a corporate social responsibility and we as individuals are responsible for ensuring older people get active.

Dr. Razan Baker

What we can do as individuals? 

Next time you visit grandparents encourage them to exercise a little bit.

What can a hospital do?

Open a free room with exercise classes so they can join and have fun. This week, I attended a seminar at Brunel University in London and one of the guests speakers was Prescilla Simpson, sport and physical activity manager of a big district in the capital. Simpson said that despite having 200 parks furnished with outdoor gyms, some people were not aware of how to use them. So the council hired coaches to encourage people and ensure the public used the equipment in the right way. 

Simpson noted that as the elderly tend to visit libraries, the council made sure to offer classes which focused on sedentary movement, suitable for getting them active. And they made sure they trained the staff at the library to continue the work. The importance of reaching the elderly and motivating them to participate has many benefits, health, of course, is top. But another positive consequence is that participating in exercise can prevent loneliness and depression. 

Studies show that deterioration of physical fitness with advancing age is to one of the major causes of dementia. Studies also reveal that the elderly who join a sports group enjoy a better life as they continue to feel they belong to something and have a goal to reach. 

Sport is a corporate social responsibility and we as individuals are responsible for ensuring older people get active. We should have a day when people can take their older friends and relatives out and encourage them to get more active. 

Sport never has to be expensive or tough, and this is especially so for the elderly. Walking is a great example of this. A study published this year showed the benefits of walking for those suffering with diabetes and coronary heart disease and found regular strolls reduced the risk of heart disease to levels they had before diabetes. Walking is an easy, safe and accessible form of physical activity — and I cannot think of a better starting point in getting the elderly more active.

  • Dr. Razan Baker is a member of the board of directors at the Saudi Bowling Federation, a specialist in corporate social responsibility in sports, and a sports columnist/journalist. Twitter: @RazanBaker