Health & Wellbeing – Physical Health
The importance of staying active Use it or lose it! Staying active and keeping fit is important as you age because it helps with maintaining mobility, independence, health and wellbeing.
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arious studies have shown that if you aren’t active enough it is a big contributor to physical decline. Regular exercise can guard against chronic health conditions such as heart disease and can also be part of managing health conditions you might already have, like arthritis. Being active will mean you have stronger muscles and bones, maintain your coordination and balance, minimise the risk of falls and be beneficial for moving around your home, including getting in and out of chairs and bed. Regular exercise can also help with: ◆ Increasing energy levels ◆ Regulating blood pressure ◆ Reducing anxiety or depression
◆ Improving sleep ◆ Improving metabolism to keep a healthy weight ◆ Increasing self-esteem ◆ Maintaining respiratory function ◆ Supporting your immune system This is why it’s so important to keep up physical activity, even if you can’t do the same activities or exercise at the same intensity as you used to. Setting aside time each week, or even each day, to do something active will improve your fitness and overall health.
It often results in that person needing help at home to remain living in the community, or in an admission to an aged care home or hospital. As a fall can cause broken bones and bruises, or sometimes more serious injuries, it can also lead to a lack of confidence and a hesitation to exercise because of the fear of falling over again. If you are fit and active to begin with, you are less likely to have a fall or other injury at all and if you do end up having a fall it will help you to recover your mobility and confidence if you stay active. It is recommended you do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, which gets your heart rate up, every day. Focus on aerobics and muscle strengthening to have even more of a chance of preventing a fall.
What activities can I do?
Preventing falls
There are many options for exercise out there, the types of activities are endless.
Falling over at home is one of the most common mobility issues experienced by older Australians.
Gyms are a popular destination for people who want to stay active because of the wide range of
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