Move to age better
MULTIPLE research has reiterated how regular physical activity and weight-bearing exercises are key components to healthy ageing – it preserves cognitive function, improves muscle mass and bone density and also reduces the risk of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, all over the world, studies find that few older adults are meeting the required physical activity guidelines for various reasons.
Universiti Malaya Medical Centre consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin says that for older adults, staying active is as important as eating and sleeping.
“As the body ages, the rate at which cells regenerate reduces. Exercise is vital in encouraging cell repair. Many older people only walk for exercise. This is not enough. Walking is aerobic exercise that is good for the heart, as it exercises the heart by making it pump faster and improves the lungs by making the person breathe faster and deeper. However it does nothing for the muscles,” says Prof Tan.
To stay mobile and independent, she says that it is important for seniors to also do strength-building exercises. Strength-building exercise prevents muscles from wasting away which happens faster as we age, she says.
“We know that if an older person lies in bed during an illness, they can lose up to 20% of their muscle bulk in just one week. Without exercising our muscle, they can waste away very fast when we are older. Strength work is important but it should not be done everyday. We encourage this three times a week with rest in between. Strength exercises stresses the muscles and can cause a small amount of damage. To stimulate repair, we need rest to allow our body to continue to renew itself,” says Prof Tan.
Although there are no limits for older adults when it comes to exercise, Prof Tan urges seniors to exercise with caution, particularly if they were not active in their younger years.
“With training, anything is possible. But, if they did not use to exercise regularly and want to start, it may be a good idea to have a medical checkup first, as stressing their heart during exercise for the first time may trigger a heart disease that they may not have known about, for instance. Like any other person, seniors need to take precautions and build up gradually and not try to run 10km the very first time they exercise,” she says, adding that it isn’t too late to run a marathon even at 100.