The role of fitness exercises for the elderly

The core role of fitness exercises for the elderly is to prolong healthy survival, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and disability, and ultimately stabilize the quality of life in the elderly without declining. This is not some health-preserving philosophy, but a practical conclusion that I have worked in the community for six years as an elderly health service and have reviewed nearly a thousand health files of the elderly.

When I was sorting through more than 200 elderly health records in the community a while ago, I discovered a very interesting phenomenon.

Those who insist on moving more than three times a week visit the hospital an average of 2.7 times less than those who do not move, and even spend nearly 40% less on medical insurance reimbursements.

Let’s take Uncle Zhang from our community. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure when he was 62 years old. He took two antihypertensive drugs for three years. In winter, his blood pressure often drifted above 150/90. Later, he played with the community’s flexball team and practiced for 40 minutes every morning. After six months, he went for a review. The doctor directly reduced his medication. Now his blood pressure is stable at around 130/80, and even the dizziness he often suffered before has disappeared. Of course, this does not mean that fitness can replace taking medicine. These are two different things. However, many chronic disease guidelines at home and abroad have regarded regular exercise as a basic intervention method for hypertension and diabetes. As long as the method is correct, it can indeed help control indicators and reduce the dosage of medicine.

However, regarding the issue of exercise intensity, there is still no unified statement in the industry. When the sports and human body science teacher from the university came to do science popularization, he said that it is best to save 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, and the heart rate reaches (170-age) to be considered qualified. However, we come into contact with many frail elderly people in their 80s. Let alone moderate-intensity, even walking downstairs and walking around the unit building twice is better than lying at home for a day. Last year, the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Peking Union Medical College released a study saying that as long as the cumulative activity exceeds 30 minutes a day, regardless of intensity, the risk of all-cause death can be reduced by 22%. Both groups are right. The key depends on the physical condition of the elderly.

In addition to managing chronic diseases, the benefits of fitness to the brain and mood are really tangible.

I help the community conduct cognitive screening for the elderly every year. The accuracy of the clock drawing test for those who regularly go out to square dance, walk or play croquet every day is more than 30% higher than those who sit at home and watch TV every day. Even the elderly who have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment can slow down their cognitive decline by half if they insist on walking briskly for 40 minutes three times a week.

There used to be a 74-year-old Aunt Li who lived alone. After her husband passed away, she always cried at home. She said she couldn't sleep and was flustered. She took sleeping aids for more than half a year and she didn't feel better. Later, she was dragged by her neighbor to join a small walking team. After dinner every night, she walked with her old friend for 40 minutes. When she got tired, she would sit on the roadside to chat. She also made an appointment to go to the morning market to buy vegetables. Within three months, she stopped taking sleeping aids. She laughed when she saw us and said that now she has something to look forward to every day.

Many people think that it is normal for the elderly to have loose muscles and be unable to carry things as they get older. In fact, this is what academic circles call sarcopenia. Muscles are like "mobile power banks" for the elderly. The more they are accumulated, the better they can withstand falls and diseases. If you can do simple resistance exercise for about ten minutes two or three times a week, such as holding a half-filled mineral water bottle, or squatting quietly against the wall for a minute or two, you can slow down the rate of muscle loss. There is a 78-year-old Aunt Wang in our community. She used to have to rest two or three times to carry 5 kilograms of rice. After practicing upper body strength with us for half a year, she can now carry 10 kilograms of vegetables to the third floor without having to trouble her children to come and deliver them.

Of course, many family members complained to me, saying that the elderly at home had fallen during exercise before and now they dare not move. In fact, this concern is correct. Safety must be the first priority, but we really cannot give up eating because of choking. There was an old man who heard that brisk walking can lower blood sugar. He went out to walk 5 kilometers every day before dawn. As a result, he developed synovitis in his knees and had to lie down for half a year. This was not a problem with exercise, but with the wrong method. There are now two different schools of thought in the field of elderly sports. One group advocates that the elderly give priority to practicing balance and strength, and not do too much aerobic exercise to avoid hurting their joints. The other group advocates that as long as the body tolerates it, a combination of aerobic resistance and resistance is the most effective. In fact, there is no absolute right or wrong. What suits you is the best.

Hi, actually, after all, the role of fitness for the elderly can be great or small. It's as big as being able to get less serious illnesses, suffer less, and causing less trouble to your children. It's as small as being able to chat with old friends every day when you go out, bragging, and being in a bright mood. There is really no need to pursue high intensity or difficulty, and there is no need to compare the number of steps with others. Take two more steps if you can today, and rest when you are tired. The one who can persevere is the best.

After all, we ordinary people are not going to participate in competitions when we exercise. Isn't the goal just to take care of ourselves and live comfortably for a few more years?