Happy Healthier New Year

Here’s to happier and healthier New Year for us all. With news of vaccines and improved treatments on the way, 2021 is already looking to be more healthy than 2020. Putting pandemics aside though, keeping healthy by eating well and exercising has never been so important.  

The current NHS guidelines for exercise for adults who are 65 and over are as follows: 

• aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none. The more you do the better, even if it’s just light activity 
• do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week 
• do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both 
• reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-older-adults/

The more active you continue to be whilst staying home, the more ready you will be to return to your ‘normal’ with confidence when it is safe to do so.  The following research ‘Inactivity reduces people’s muscle strength’ was conducted by The Centre for Healthy Aging and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The study revealed that inactivity has a significant impact upon muscular strength which can in tunr make you more likely to experience a fall.

Both older and younger people lose muscular strength

“Our experiments reveal that inactivity affects the muscular strength in young and older men equally. Having had one leg immobilized for two weeks, young people lose up to a third of their muscular strength, while older people lose approx. one fourth. A young man who is immobilized for two weeks loses muscular strength in his leg equivalent to aging by 40 or 50 years,” says Andreas Vigelsoe, PhD at the Center for Healthy Aging and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150626095520.htm

If you don’t have a keep fit regime then it is worth considering starting one now in order to maintain or regain your strength, balance. flexibility and cardiovascular health. Although with the weather generally in the UK being cold and wet you may want to incorporate activities into your daily in the house routines. Click here for some ideas.