Ageing is a gradual process which cannot be halted. But people can choose to age healthily and gracefully.
Healthy ageing doesn’t mean you should look younger or hide those wrinkles. It’s more about being able to enjoy good physical and mental health in your later years.
Healthy ageing is possible by prioritising both exercise and diet to gain strength and functional fitness that can help you lead an active and independent life.
Exercise and diet for healthy ageing
As you grow old, it is normal to feel physical strength waning. To regain strength, you need to work out, be it for performing daily activities without any assistance or to reduce the chances of developing age-related health issues. Strength can be obtained through exercise and diet.
Many older people like brisk walking. This aerobic exercise is good for cardiovascular health. But doing strength training is also crucial, say experts.
Strength training for healthy ageing
Older people can do bodyweight exercises like squatting, wall push-ups or even regular push-ups as part of strength training. Less-heavy free weights like dumbbells, kettlebells and sandbags can be used for free-weight exercises. Strength training for healthy ageing can also include machine-weight exercises such as chest press, lat pulldowns and seated rowing in the gym.
“Strength training or resistance training helps prevent muscle loss,” says Purvi Panchal, a strength, conditioning and post-rehab fitness trainer from Bengaluru. “It will also help retain calcium and improve bone density. Strong muscles and bones prevent falls and injuries. In resistance training, you are working on the core muscles, hip and your back. This helps improve balance which is important as one gets older.”
However, strength-training exercises require caution since they could lead to injuries if done indiscriminately or incorrectly. “The potential risks depend upon the type of equipment and how one is using it,” says Panchal. “It is best to do most exercises under supervision.”
Geriatric nutrition and ageing
Individuals tend to eat less as they grow older, afraid of gaining weight. But nutrition, especially as the years advance, remains important: the body must receive the right nutrients for healthy ageing.
“A balanced diet that includes whole grains, cereals and millets, which contain a lot of fibre, should be taken,” says nutritionist Rajshree Sharma from Livfit, Bengaluru. “[Having] plenty of lentils, fruits and vegetables are also important. The right nutrition, which includes minerals and vitamins, increases antioxidants in the body that also help in enhancing anti-ageing processes.”
Calcium and vitamin D are important for improving bone density and strength in the later years to prevent falls and injuries. Geriatric nutrition plays an important role in preventing fractures and hastening recovery after accidental falls.
Rich sources of calcium include dairy products like milk and curd. Calcium is also richly present in green leafy vegetables and millets like ragi and amaranth.
“To remain healthy in the later years of life, outside food (like any fast food), oily food, processed food and food rich in sugar should be kept low or avoided, since they can lead to age-related health problems,” adds Sharma.
Takeaways
- Strength decreases as one ages. One might find it difficult to do even daily activities.
- Strength training and proper nutrition are essential for healthy ageing.
- Exercise and diet are both important to remain strong and energetic and to keep disease at bay.
