Amazing Old Fogie Work Outs - Over 75 to 85 Years Old Calisthenics

It's never too late to exercise. The over-65 age group is less active than any other. But, exercise doesn't have to be difficult - and it can help you live a longer, happier life. Ask anyone to guess which age group is least likely to be meeting recommended physical activity guidelines, and they'll opt for children. So here's a statistic that may surprise you: in 2007, 72% of boys and 63% of girls aged 2-15 met the '60 minutes a day, every day' target. Grown-ups (aged 16-64) didn't fare so well - with 40% of men and just 28% of women achieving the recommended level of physical activity for adults (five or more sessions of 30 minutes' moderate activity a week).

But it's older people who sit firmly at the bottom of the class. Department of Health figures show that only 17% of men and 13% of women over the age of 65 are sufficiently active. Other research shows that 44% of adults over the age of 70 years take a 20-minute walk less than once a year - or never.

It seems that the older we get, the less active we are. But why? According to the findings of a study from the University of Dundee, published in the journal Age and Ageing, the most powerful 'deterrent' among the over-65s is a lack of interest, and disbelief that exercise can enhance and/or lengthen life. It's what Bob Laventure, a consultant on older people and physical activity at the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, classifies under the "it's too bloody late for me" excuse.
The benefits

But is it too late to improve your fitness and health once you are past the first flushes of youth? "Absolutely not", says Laventure. "You can train the older body, and markedly so." And, he says, with so much "untrained reserve" it's possible for sedentary people to make huge gains, and fast.

Studies show improvements in balance, strength, gait, muscular power, blood pressure, endurance and bone density as a result of regular physical activity in older age. For example, one study on 90-year-old women in a nursing home found that 12 weeks of strength training took the equivalent of 20 years off their thigh muscle age, resulting in improved walking and mobility.

Another study found that six months of regular exercise increased VO2 max (a measure of aerobic fitness) by 30% in 60-70-year-olds. Exercise even helps you live longer - research from Harvard University found that men who burned 2,000 calories a week through exercise lived two-and-a-half years longer, on average, than sedentary men.

"There's also good evidence that physical activity has important effects on the mental health of older adults," says Laventure. A joint study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Age Concern in 2006 found that regular exercise was associated with reduced stress, depression and anxiety; enhanced cognitive function and overall psychological wellbeing; and increased self-esteem and contact with the community.

It would seem, then, that physical activity can add not only years to your life, but life to your years. But back to those "perceived barriers". Aside from not having much interest in working up a sweat, respondents in the Scottish study also cited physical symptoms - such as painful joints, a lack of energy or shortness of breath - an unwillingness to go out alone or in the evening, and reluctance to join a group or make new friends, as reasons not to exercise. They are all factors which Laventure puts down to fear and lack of confidence.

"There's often a perception of risk among older people regarding physical activity", he believes. "People worry 'is this safe for me? Will I have a heart attack? Will I make an existing condition worse?'"

But are such fears valid? In most cases, no. As the Age and Ageing paper states: "shortness of breath may be interpreted by older people as a symptom of disease, rather than a normal response to physical activity. Similarly, patients with osteoarthritis may need reassurance that physical activity can be beneficial and may alleviate painful joints."

In fact, the benefits of physical activity - at any age - are so compelling that it could be argued that a bigger threat to health and longevity is not exercising. "Inactivity is life-limiting", says Laventure.

Whatever you choose - Tai Chi or Thai boxing, chairobics or cheerleading - the activity you do needs to be consistent, in order to reap the benefits. "The challenge is sustaining physical activity in the long-term - so it has to be something that will keep you motivated," says Laventure. And if the findings of the Scottish study are anything to go by, you'd be advised to recruit a friend or partner to go with, both for motivation and support and safety.

And what about exercise type? Aerobic activity - brisk walking, cycling or swimming - is the gold standard.

Music: Groovtastic by Dhruva Aliman
Amazon - https://amzn.to/2B9tGa7
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637
https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes
http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet

#geriatric
#beastmode
#exercise