Being active and participating in regular physical activity are important not only when we’re younger but perhaps even more so as we get older. Here, we look at the benefits of staying fit for life and how pharmacy assistants can encourage their older customers to remain active safely.
An active lifestyle is a vital part of healthy ageing, “helping maintain our bodies and mind so we can keep living optimally, enjoying the things we like to do”, says Accredited Exercise Physiologist Tim Douge.
“We know that one of the most inactive demographics is people over the age of 65,” he said. “However, we also know this demographic is one that can benefit the most [from an active lifestyle].”
Some of the benefits of regular physical activity as we age include support for our physical and mental health, he adds.
“[Exercise] helps maintain the health of our bones and joints, reducing the impact of diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis,” Mr Douge said.
“It keeps our heart and lungs healthy, which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also helps maintain muscle mass, which is a critical part of healthy ageing, as it allows [us] to keep doing our day-to-day activities, as well as reduces the risk of falls and fractures.
“For our brain and nervous system, exercise can help regulate our mood, improve memory and decision making, and when done as part of a group setting, can have wonderful social benefits.”
Although getting older, with its associated physical changes, is inevitable, slowing down the ageing process is a goal for many of us. Just consider the health and fitness business: there’s a reason it’s a billion-dollar industry.
Mr Douge believes that staying fit and healthy is a way to slow the ageing process.
“Our bodies are in a constant state of degeneration and repair,” he said. “With ageing, the process of repair becomes harder to keep up, which is why certain parts and functions of our body become more difficult to maintain over time.
“At a basic level, exercise helps to boost the ‘repair’ process, so that the natural decline with ageing is not as dramatic. Just because our bodies are getting older doesn’t mean they lose the ability to adapt and learn. Exercise is a critical stimulus, as we get older … to maintain our function for as long as possible.”
A common recommendation is for about 30 minutes of exercise each day, but Mr Douge says that, for some, the ideal is as much exercise “as they can manage”, because some is better than none.
“A weekly active total of two-and-a-half to five hours [of exercise] is good to aim for,” he said, adding that this should include “some vigorous activity to stimulate muscle growth, if possible”.
Addressing the type of exercise that’s best, especially as we get older, Mr Douge says both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training are important.
“Research has shown the benefits of cardiovascular exercise on maintaining heart and lung health, as well as specific mental health benefits,” he said. “This may include things like walking, hiking, cycling, dancing or anything that elevates the heart rate consistently.
“Resistance training is also critical for older people, as it’s one of the best ways to maintain bone and joint health, as well as muscle function.”
But optimal exercise goes beyond just cardio and strength, with Mr Douge also pointing to the importance of including balance work as part of a regular exercise routine – for example, yoga or Pilates or Tai Chi – exercise that’s key not just to maintaining fitness levels but also the ability to do everyday tasks.
Including balance training in the fitness regime “ensures older people are able to keep performing activities of daily living, like climbing stairs, playing with grandchildren, or other reactional and social activities”, Mr Douge says.
While regular exercise is important, he cautions that it’s equally as important to undertake exercise safely, particularly if just starting out.
“An older person should get a clearance from their GP before starting exercise, and then find an exercise physiologist to help them with a suitable program,” he said.
“It’s important that the person feels safe and comfortable while they exercise, so it will be necessary to take into account movement or mobility issues, as well as any medications, which may affect activity capacity.”
Mr Douge says you don’t have to hit the gym and lift weights to see benefits: keeping it simple and exercising with routines that can be adopted at home is a great way to start.
He suggests that one way to become engaged in regular physical activity, especially as we get older, is through mimicking everyday activities. These include getting up from a chair repeatedly to improve lower body strength, as in a squat, calf raises while holding onto the kitchen bench, which can help improve balance, and push-ups against a wall, which can help improve upper body strength.
So, how can pharmacy assistants encourage their older customers to stay active? The first thing, says Mr Douge, is to be curious and ask questions.
“Pharmacy assistants can ask questions about day-to-day activities to see if their customers are getting the recommended daily dose of activity,” he said.
The next step is providing encouragement and explaining the reason exercise is important.
“They can encourage older adults by explaining the benefits of exercise and how it will help improve their quality of life,” Mr Douge said, adding that it’s also important that PAs advise older customers to see their GP for a medical clearance before embarking on any serious exercise regime – if they show “any hesitation towards exercising safely”.
Mr Douge continued: “[Pharmacy assistants] can also provide reassurance about the type of exercise required for older people, [who] often assume that they need to be doing the same fitness activities as younger people, or at the same intensity. It’s important that they know even a little bit of movement each day can be beneficial.”
For more information, visit: exerciseright.com.au
This feature was originally published in the August issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine.
