Slowing down
after middle age could prove detrimental to your health, according to experts.
We investigate
As we age, most of us
begin to take it a little easier.
Instead of running for
the bus we walk, instead of risking a back injury by lifting heavy bags, we
have our shopping delivered to our doors. We generally tend to go about things
at a much slower pace.
And because we are
less concerned with appearance than quality of life by the time the grandkids
arrive, a regular fitness regime tends to get thrown out with the old 70s
compilation CDs.
But is this the right
approach to growing older? And should we be
more active, not less, after we hit retirement age? According to fitness professionals
the answer is yes.
"One of the
defining things about ageing is the loss of muscle mass," explains health
and fitness lecturer Richard Scrivener. "We lose muscle as a natural part
of aging and as we do, our metabolisms slow down which causes weight gain. A decrease
in muscle mass also makes us physically and mentally weaker."
It’s been estimated
that almost half of the over-fifties in the UK do little or no exercise. And
with the number of people in this age category expected to rise by 37 per cent
to over 27 million by the year 2031, this will soon amount to a huge chunk of
the population.
"I
have never let my age stop me from enjoying life and I think it is important
for everyone to exercise"
Jennie
Bond
The benefits of
exercise for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s have been widely documented. Not
only does it improve joint mobility and
increase physical strength and energy, but it can enhance sleep, cognitive function and help prevent illness
and disease. So why aren’t more seniors joining gyms or signing up to fitness
classes?
"Part of the
problem is psychological," says Scrivener. "As people move into
retirement they start taking it easier because they think they have to. They
might have worked hard all their lives and think that now is the time to rest
more or perhaps they used to play a sport like football or netball when younger and gave up playing it
because they thought less physically demanding sports like golf or swimming were more appropriate and
safer.
"It is true that
there is a greater risk of injury as we age because our joints are older and
therefore more fragile. But that doesn’t mean we can’t push ourselves. We might
not be able to sprint like the wind as we did in our twenties but it doesn’t
mean we have to stick to gentler forms of activity."
Exercise for older
individuals can have just as many mental rewards as physical, such as reducing stress, anxiety and
depression - especially the kind that often accompanies post-retirement
boredom. People who suddenly find themselves with all the spare time in the
world once they are no longer working often feel like they’ve lost their sense
of purpose and identity.
Because exercise boosts feel-good chemicals in the brain, and helps improve body image, it can help
prevent this psychological slump.
"It’s all about
quality of life," adds Scrivener. "And this doesn’t just mean being
able to get up and down the stairs with ease or having the energy to do chores,
it’s about feeling good too. When you are stronger and more capable you feel it
and that gives you better mental strength."
Maintaining this
mental strength has something to do with a protein called BDNF, which stands
for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein stimulates the repair and
regeneration of both nerve and brain cells and is very active in the areas of
the brain linked to memory, learning, and higher thinking. Exercise has been
shown to increase the secretion of BDNF, which is why it can dramatically reduce the
risk of dementia and other cognitive diseases.
Believe it or not, our
brains actually start beginning to slow down when we reach the age of 30. It
used to be thought that this couldn’t be prevented, but countless studies have
since proved otherwise. The fact is people can train their brains to function
better and faster at any age. And the secret isn’t just focusing on mind games
but physical ones too.
"We
might not be able to sprint like the wind as we did in our twenties but it
doesn’t mean we have to stick to gentler forms of activity"
Richard
Scrivener
Dr Barbara Bushman of
the American College of Sports Medicine agrees that regular physical activity
can minimise the physiological changes that occur with age: "Older adults
can benefit from exercise, and although absolute improvements may be less than
for younger adults, relative increases can be similar."
So the best sharpener
for your grey matter may not be jumping into a crossword puzzle at all but
slipping into your trainers instead, something television presenter Jennie Bond realised when she tried running for the
first time.
The 64-year-old former
BBC Royal Correspondent had practiced yoga and Pilates for years but decided to
take up the sport last year when she began suffering from insomnia.
"I had tried
everything before – herbal teas and supplements, changing my diet and even
cutting down on caffeine. But for some reason no matter what time my head hit
the pillow, I would wake up regularly throughout the night," Bond says.
"Then I was
approached by Bupa in April and asked if I wanted to take part in a special 10k
run in support of their campaign to encourage more people over 50 to exercise.
I jumped at the chance. I started running most days in preparation and in just
a few weeks my sleeping patterns completely changed."
According to Bupa, 93
per cent of people aged 50 to 65 don’t run because they think it’s bad for
them.
"I have never let
my age stop me from enjoying life and I think it is important for everyone to
exercise," adds Bond. "I’ll admit that at first, running felt
completely alien to me. I managed about 30 steps and hated it. The fronts of my
legs were aching the next day. But I persevered and my runs gradually got
longer and easier. After two weeks I started to feel really energised and confident.
I even lost some weight as my clothes began feeling much looser, which was a
huge bonus."
"We
lose muscle as a natural part of aging and as we do, our metabolisms slow down
which causes weight gain"
Richard
Scrivener
Ideally, a physical
activity program for people over 50 should include a combination of balance,
stretching, cardiovascular, and crucially, weight-training exercise. It is
important to match the program to the individual’s ability though, which is why
Scrivener suggests starting out with an experienced personal trainer.
"It might take
longer to ease into gradually and you also have to take account of the fact
that there may be some wear and tear on the joints so your reaction and
recovery times may be slower, but as long as you have someone who understands
all that you certainly can and should start weight training and can do it at
any age," he adds.
"Even if a person
can’t jump around with a barbell on their back, they can still perform
bodyweight squats or get on a leg press. It’s all about knowing how far to
push."
How to
stay fit after 50
Warm up well
It takes longer to get
your muscles working properly as you get older because the various systems take
a little longer to fire up. So always perform a light five-minute warm up first
like a jog.
Mix it up
Don’t keep doing the
same thing day in day out. Change your routine regularly. If you lift the same
weights or run at the same speed all the time you won’t get any stronger or
fitter. Incorporate some interval training, combining high and low intensities,
or classes into your fitness program.
Don't cut it short
You need to exercise
for a minimum of 20 minutes to reap any benefits so aim to work out for around
half an hour to 45-minutes each time to begin with. As you get fitter you can
increase this to an hour.
Work your core
As we age our core
strength suffers, which can result in bad posture and a sore back, knees and
hips. So make sure you incorporate some core-strengthening exercises twice a
week.
Keep it steady
If running for the
first time, use a metronome and set it to 180 beats per minute. This ensures
you take shorter strides and limits impact on joints.
