Page 108 - Active Retirement Ireland 2015_
P. 108
Physical Activity
Never too late to
start, always too soon
to stop!
Positive ageing week took place last month with
hundreds of events taking place throughout the
country. In light of the ever increasing knowledge
of the human body and lifespan ‘growing old’ can
indeed be looked at in a much more positive light.
In the summer of 2012 world renowned expert on Ageing Professor ‘I’m too old to start exercising’
Walter M Bortz gave a lecture in Trinity College Dublin. His interest
in the subject of ageing came to a head after a skiing accident Another saying/misconception that has been quashed is the saying
he had in his early thirties after which he was in a cast for six that not only is it incorrect in fact the importance of exercising and
weeks. When the cast was removed he was shocked with what staying fit increases the older you get.
he observed. His leg had withered, turned purple, and was stiff,
painful, and weak exactly the same attributes that you would When we’re younger, the need to carry out day to day tasks does
expect to find in a limb of someone 40 or 50 years older. not necessitate that we exercise. But as we get older, the ability to
carry out activities of daily living can become an issue if we’re not
So, he asked the question ‘Why had his leg turned ‘old’ in a cast? It relatively fit. Fitness for the young is an option, but fitness as we
wasn’t due to disease or genetics. This lead him to the conclusion get older is imperative.
that ‘disuse’ must be a major factor in older adults losing their
physical capabilities. If you like as we get older ‘Living Independently’ becomes the
‘sport’ of older adults so we need to keep training.
This revelation lead professor Bortz on a life long search into the
ageing process and in particular about how the role that physical ‘What’s good for the heart is good for the Brain’
activity plays in this process.
Not only is physical activity good for the body, but research
Bortz is unequivocal about that fact that for the first time in now shows that it also has very positive effects on intellectual
history we know exactly what happens throughout the lifespan performance and protects against cognitive impairment, dementia
and the powerful positive effect that remaining active has on all and Alzheimer’s disease.
aspects of our health and well being. In his opinion, in relation to
growing old, Physical Fitness is the answer to living life to the full. A lot of this research is based on the ability of the body to distribute
oxygen (aerobic capacity) to all parts of the body and guess what
It’s not all in the genes… the fitter we are the better our body does that as well! Going back
to professor Bortz who was 82yrs old (annual marathon runner) at
One of the biggest preconceptions that we have towards health & the time of the lecture was measured for his aerobic capacity and
fitness, is the idea that our genetic make-up has an overriding say found to be at a level similar to a 50 yr old man.
in how healthy we are. In truth, genetics only has around a 15%
say in how our long term health is affected. That gives us 85% to What type of exercise should we do and how much?
play around with.
The recommended types of exercise by the World Health
We know this from a large study carried out by the medical Organisation for adults over 65 yrs includes at least 150mins (2.5
institute of America where 10,000 sets of identical twins lifespan hrs) of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity (brisk walking,
was measured and it found that there was on average 6.5 -7yrs dancing, gardening, housework, playing with children/animals,
difference between the lifespan of the twins due almost entirely group exercise, aqua aerobics) per week in bouts of at least 10mins.
to lifestyle choices.
For additional benefits increase the time to 300 mins or include
Never too late to
start, always too soon
to stop!
Positive ageing week took place last month with
hundreds of events taking place throughout the
country. In light of the ever increasing knowledge
of the human body and lifespan ‘growing old’ can
indeed be looked at in a much more positive light.
In the summer of 2012 world renowned expert on Ageing Professor ‘I’m too old to start exercising’
Walter M Bortz gave a lecture in Trinity College Dublin. His interest
in the subject of ageing came to a head after a skiing accident Another saying/misconception that has been quashed is the saying
he had in his early thirties after which he was in a cast for six that not only is it incorrect in fact the importance of exercising and
weeks. When the cast was removed he was shocked with what staying fit increases the older you get.
he observed. His leg had withered, turned purple, and was stiff,
painful, and weak exactly the same attributes that you would When we’re younger, the need to carry out day to day tasks does
expect to find in a limb of someone 40 or 50 years older. not necessitate that we exercise. But as we get older, the ability to
carry out activities of daily living can become an issue if we’re not
So, he asked the question ‘Why had his leg turned ‘old’ in a cast? It relatively fit. Fitness for the young is an option, but fitness as we
wasn’t due to disease or genetics. This lead him to the conclusion get older is imperative.
that ‘disuse’ must be a major factor in older adults losing their
physical capabilities. If you like as we get older ‘Living Independently’ becomes the
‘sport’ of older adults so we need to keep training.
This revelation lead professor Bortz on a life long search into the
ageing process and in particular about how the role that physical ‘What’s good for the heart is good for the Brain’
activity plays in this process.
Not only is physical activity good for the body, but research
Bortz is unequivocal about that fact that for the first time in now shows that it also has very positive effects on intellectual
history we know exactly what happens throughout the lifespan performance and protects against cognitive impairment, dementia
and the powerful positive effect that remaining active has on all and Alzheimer’s disease.
aspects of our health and well being. In his opinion, in relation to
growing old, Physical Fitness is the answer to living life to the full. A lot of this research is based on the ability of the body to distribute
oxygen (aerobic capacity) to all parts of the body and guess what
It’s not all in the genes… the fitter we are the better our body does that as well! Going back
to professor Bortz who was 82yrs old (annual marathon runner) at
One of the biggest preconceptions that we have towards health & the time of the lecture was measured for his aerobic capacity and
fitness, is the idea that our genetic make-up has an overriding say found to be at a level similar to a 50 yr old man.
in how healthy we are. In truth, genetics only has around a 15%
say in how our long term health is affected. That gives us 85% to What type of exercise should we do and how much?
play around with.
The recommended types of exercise by the World Health
We know this from a large study carried out by the medical Organisation for adults over 65 yrs includes at least 150mins (2.5
institute of America where 10,000 sets of identical twins lifespan hrs) of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity (brisk walking,
was measured and it found that there was on average 6.5 -7yrs dancing, gardening, housework, playing with children/animals,
difference between the lifespan of the twins due almost entirely group exercise, aqua aerobics) per week in bouts of at least 10mins.
to lifestyle choices.
For additional benefits increase the time to 300 mins or include
