Looking for the fountain of youth?
Roger Henderson wrote a book entitled 100 Ways To Live To 100, which I recently came across while browsing in a bookstore. My immediate reaction to this title was: "Who on earth would want to live to 100!" The probable reason for my reaction is that...
Roger Henderson wrote a book entitled 100 Ways To Live To 100, which I recently came across while browsing in a bookstore. My immediate reaction to this title was: "Who on earth would want to live to 100!" The probable reason for my reaction is that old age is associated with senility, immobility, dependability and a whole host of unpronounceable ailments which we hear old people suffer from especially at 100 years of age!
On reflection, however, if we could do something to prolong our quality of life and remain relatively active, perhaps we could look at the latter years of our life in a different light. According to Dr Henderson, who wrote the book, a century ago 60 was considered a ripe old age. Nowadays, one's life expectancy hovers more around the age of 80 and the number of centenarians is on the rise. Society has become more conscientious about remaining healthy and retaining youthful looks for as long as possible. Indeed some people are ready to go to great lengths in a bid for "eternal youth!"
And yet, the rate of obesity in our country is at its highest even among children. According to the Malta Medical Journal, one out of four deaths occurs before the age of 65 due to diabetes. I am sure we have all come across similar alarming statistics about the deteriorating state of our health as a nation, and yet, the solution is right before our eyes and so many people are still choosing to ignore it! If the Maltese population is not aware of the benefits rewarded by regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, their heads are, without a doubt buried very deep in the sand!
Newsweek recently printed a very interesting article entitled Athletic Aging, in which were printed some statistics regarding the percentage increase of training in older people. Within the European Union 58 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds exercise regularly and nearly 40 per cent of 40- to 50-year-olds exercise at least twice a week. This is indeed an encouraging statistic. "In Britain, the number of men aged 55 to 64 working out has jumped by nearly half since 1997 and older women (45 to 54) by a quarter," states author Mac Margolis.
So what is our excuse? True, we live a fast-paced life. A lot of the time, we are trying to juggle a family, a job, a social life and numerous hobbies, but so does the rest of the world! In most other countries, commuting to work and back home every day is a very time-consuming process. In Malta, we jump into our cars and are at our destination within a short space of time and we complain if we do not find a parking space right outside our door! The sedentary population today should be embarrassed to admit that they cannot find three hours a week to improve their health and quality of life!
It is encouraging to see the number of young people attending the gym on the increase. It is even more encouraging to see people of 50 and 60 who are still active. The health outcomes, which might be associated with an active lifestyle in older people, range from disease prevention through to functional, psychological and social benefits. We can only hope that the younger active people in our society do not decide at some point that they have become "too old" to carry on exercising and decide to give up! We need to help to create a fit culture to the extent that physical activity is a part of our daily life to ensure that we can live long active lives without being a burden on our children at a later stage in life.
Perhaps the "nip 'n' tuck" culture has taken over. More and more people are resorting to cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance, and why not? I am certainly not opposed to it especially knowing that there are certain problems that exercise cannot remedy such as breast size or an awkwardly shaped nose. No doubt, altering something that has been a source of lack of self-confidence can make a great difference to our lives.
However, we must not forget the physiological benefits associated with exercise that cannot be obtained by going under the knife such as cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass, strength and flexibility, balance, improved blood pressure, body weight and bone density levels. We do not need to wait until we are ordered by our doctor or plagued with ailments to become physically active.
The advantage of joining a gym is that you get a chance to meet people as well as get all the advice you require from the instructors who can create a programme tailor-made to suit your needs. It is never too late to start exercising and make healthy changes in your life, so no matter your age, you owe it to yourself to improve your quality of life, to remain independent for as long as you can. It is possible to set achievable goals at any age, and when we struggle to achieve a goal, the success is that much more rewarding! In the same way as we make financial provision for the latter years of our life, we must do the same for our health by making exercise part of our lives.
• Ms Grech has a diploma in sports and leisure studies. • Cynergi Health & Fitness Club is now catering further to members over 50 with specially designed programmes, including a Flexible Strength class, swimming, weight training and more. The programme is geared towards increasing suppleness, flexibility and strength and improving posture, muscle tone and general well-being. Members are monitored closely by fitness instructors and regular meetings are set to ensure one is on the right track to achieving their goals. To try Cynergi for free, call 2371 0700 and quote this article. More information can be found at www.cynergi.com.mt
On reflection, however, if we could do something to prolong our quality of life and remain relatively active, perhaps we could look at the latter years of our life in a different light. According to Dr Henderson, who wrote the book, a century ago 60 was considered a ripe old age. Nowadays, one's life expectancy hovers more around the age of 80 and the number of centenarians is on the rise. Society has become more conscientious about remaining healthy and retaining youthful looks for as long as possible. Indeed some people are ready to go to great lengths in a bid for "eternal youth!"
And yet, the rate of obesity in our country is at its highest even among children. According to the Malta Medical Journal, one out of four deaths occurs before the age of 65 due to diabetes. I am sure we have all come across similar alarming statistics about the deteriorating state of our health as a nation, and yet, the solution is right before our eyes and so many people are still choosing to ignore it! If the Maltese population is not aware of the benefits rewarded by regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, their heads are, without a doubt buried very deep in the sand!
Newsweek recently printed a very interesting article entitled Athletic Aging, in which were printed some statistics regarding the percentage increase of training in older people. Within the European Union 58 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds exercise regularly and nearly 40 per cent of 40- to 50-year-olds exercise at least twice a week. This is indeed an encouraging statistic. "In Britain, the number of men aged 55 to 64 working out has jumped by nearly half since 1997 and older women (45 to 54) by a quarter," states author Mac Margolis.
So what is our excuse? True, we live a fast-paced life. A lot of the time, we are trying to juggle a family, a job, a social life and numerous hobbies, but so does the rest of the world! In most other countries, commuting to work and back home every day is a very time-consuming process. In Malta, we jump into our cars and are at our destination within a short space of time and we complain if we do not find a parking space right outside our door! The sedentary population today should be embarrassed to admit that they cannot find three hours a week to improve their health and quality of life!
It is encouraging to see the number of young people attending the gym on the increase. It is even more encouraging to see people of 50 and 60 who are still active. The health outcomes, which might be associated with an active lifestyle in older people, range from disease prevention through to functional, psychological and social benefits. We can only hope that the younger active people in our society do not decide at some point that they have become "too old" to carry on exercising and decide to give up! We need to help to create a fit culture to the extent that physical activity is a part of our daily life to ensure that we can live long active lives without being a burden on our children at a later stage in life.
Perhaps the "nip 'n' tuck" culture has taken over. More and more people are resorting to cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance, and why not? I am certainly not opposed to it especially knowing that there are certain problems that exercise cannot remedy such as breast size or an awkwardly shaped nose. No doubt, altering something that has been a source of lack of self-confidence can make a great difference to our lives.
However, we must not forget the physiological benefits associated with exercise that cannot be obtained by going under the knife such as cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass, strength and flexibility, balance, improved blood pressure, body weight and bone density levels. We do not need to wait until we are ordered by our doctor or plagued with ailments to become physically active.
The advantage of joining a gym is that you get a chance to meet people as well as get all the advice you require from the instructors who can create a programme tailor-made to suit your needs. It is never too late to start exercising and make healthy changes in your life, so no matter your age, you owe it to yourself to improve your quality of life, to remain independent for as long as you can. It is possible to set achievable goals at any age, and when we struggle to achieve a goal, the success is that much more rewarding! In the same way as we make financial provision for the latter years of our life, we must do the same for our health by making exercise part of our lives.
• Ms Grech has a diploma in sports and leisure studies. • Cynergi Health & Fitness Club is now catering further to members over 50 with specially designed programmes, including a Flexible Strength class, swimming, weight training and more. The programme is geared towards increasing suppleness, flexibility and strength and improving posture, muscle tone and general well-being. Members are monitored closely by fitness instructors and regular meetings are set to ensure one is on the right track to achieving their goals. To try Cynergi for free, call 2371 0700 and quote this article. More information can be found at www.cynergi.com.mt