Updates on Healthy Ageing

As members of AAH would already be aware, the benefits of exercise and social contact can contribute greatly to our sense of well-being. We are currently in an era where science is revealing new and exciting information and knowledge, about just how powerfully certain types of exercise can influence both our health, and how well we age. The opposite is also true. Research is unveiling the potential for ill heath that can occur from a lack of activity and social engagement.

AAH subscribes to ‘The Journal on Active Aging’. This is one resource that can keep us informed of new, scientifically based developments. So, I have been asked to take a look at this journal and untangle some of the recent, and sometimes complex information available on healthy ageing, and present it in a regular blog. 

First of all, why did Barry ask me to do this?  I have a Doctorate in Exercise Science and Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.  I have designed and conducted research into particular exercise formats that resulted in measurable improvements in mental/ cognitive function, physical fitness and improved balance in older adults.  I also have a background in Health Promotion and Health Education. I’ve also read a lot of other people’s research. Yes, I confess, I love this stuff! So here we go!

Physical Activity and Healthy Ageing

The current edition of the Journal on Active Aging is dedicated to physical activity.

Researchers at the University of Zurich have shown that physical and social activities in later life protect, and in some cases, improve brain function.  What this means is sharper thinking, better memory and feeling mentally more able to stay on top of the demands of everyday life. The researchers have also suggested that exercising and social engagement can play a role in preserving the area of the brain that is potentially affected by Alzheimers.

Another study, completed in the USA, found that a lack of exercise and activity, together with a lack of social contact can result in higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The good news is that past studies have shown that the risk of heart disease can be reduced. In other words, be active, get out, and engage with people regularly and there is a good chance you will improve heart health and stroke prevention.

Further research has found that replacing sitting with only a few minutes of exercise, can improve heart health. Although vigorous activity under professional supervision might be the quickest way to improve heart health, people with any ability can achieve heart related improvements by small periods of moderate movement. Basically, don't sit, move.

Take home messages:

• Do something – anything is better than sitting.

• Moving and engaging with people can improve heart function and prevent heart disease and stroke.

• Being active and engaging with people can be associated with less risk of brain degeneration such as Alzheimers.

So, take the dog for a walk and talk to people along the way. Join a club, take up a hobby, invite people over, make a phone call and be effortful in engaging with people. Reduce the amount of time spent sitting. Stand up, go for a walk, do a task. It does not require something as onerous as going to the gym (though that’s fine too), just make a habit of regular, incidental movement and know that you are doing stuff that is promoting your brain and heart health.

Stay tuned for the next edition. We will discuss more strategies to help us be active and engage in community. We will also take a look at how different types of exercise and dancing in particular, have been demonstrated to be particularly powerful, in contributing to health and vitality, in later life.

Cheers

Dr Sue Vaughan