"Exercise To Die Young As Late As Possible"
This was the title of my favourite presentation from the podiatry conference I attended at the end February. And I want to share the takeaway tips with you.
We all know that we need to exercise to keep us healthy as we get older. And 45% of us are reaching the recommended physical activity goals as set out in guidelines. This is activity that gets our heart rate up - vigorous walking, running, riding etc. But only 23% of us are hitting the strength guidelines. And this is what I found most interesting.
Imagine getting older and not being able to play with the grandkids or get up and down the stairs without pain or breathlessness, not having the grip strength to open a jar or even not having the strength to get off the toilet. That sounds pretty depressing right.
If we don’t work on our strength, the inability to do these activities happens to us at a younger age. We need to put some effort into building our strength now, so that we can do the activities of daily living well into later years.
So what does that mean for you now and why is a podiatrist telling you this. No matter what age we are, we need to spend a little time each week working on our health. We worry about and plan for having enough money to last as long as we will in retirement, but do you have enough strength and fitness as well.
So think about what activity you can do. Working on your strength requires resistance training and not everyone has the knowledge to start this themselves. Joining a gym or seeing an exercise physiologist can be a great start.
It doesn't matter what age you are, starting exercising now to die young as late as possible!!!