By the mid 2030’s the pension age will have gone up to 68. This means that most of us will be 68 or 69 before we can realistically plan to stop working. Although from the government’s perspective this makes sense – pension payments will be more affordable if we stop work later – the downside is that although life expectancy is increasing, the health of the average person is not. Exercise for ageing well has been shown to support you to stay physically mobile as well as mentally fit, while regular visits to an osteopath will help you to stay strong and able to continue enjoying life.
Jonathan Boxall looks at the evidence for exercise benefitting you in later life.
Ageing well
With increasing age, the risk of developing a whole list of associated conditions including Osteoarthritis, Type II Diabetes, Heart disease and Senile Dementia rises dramatically. So, no matter how well financially prepared we are to retire, we may face a very real and daunting prospect of spending our last working years blighted with operations and deteriorating mental and physical health.
None of us wants to settle into our golden years without the energy and ability to enjoy the hard-won fruits of our labour.
The good news is that there are investments we can make in our health and wellbeing that will drastically increase our chances of staying fit and well to work. Not only that, but these investments can launch us into retirement well prepared for all that tennis and golf we’re looking forward to – and mentally sharp enough to keep the opposition at bay when playing Bridge or at the Pub Quiz.
Exercise to age well
The key is exercise, sensible and regular use of our heart and muscles that not only keeps us moving and feeling great, but (as recent research is proving) can help maintain mental alertness and performance. I was fascinated to read about a recent study showing that regular exercise significantly increases intelligence.
Exercise has been shown to trigger physiological changes in the body. These changes include encouraging the production of growth factors, which are chemicals that influence the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and the abundance, survival, and health of new brain cells.
Exercise also improves sleep and boosts mood, which in turn support cognitive function. Make sure it’s’ something you enjoy – forcing yourself to go for a jog when you’ve always hated running won’t help and may cause way more stress than relaxation!
And it’s been shown that the broader social context of exercise brings different longevity benefits. One study collected information on average weekly exercise routines in over 8,000 adults, and then investigated what types of exercise were linked with greater longevity 25 years later. It evidenced that while physical activities such as cycling, swimming, jogging or going to the gym did bring longevity gains (around 2.4 additional years of longevity relative to people in the sample who didn’t exercise), it was the social sports that were associated with the biggest longevity benefits. Tennis and badminton were associated with over three times the longevity benefit, with over eight additional years of longevity.
It’s worth treating exercise as a prescription, building a daily habit even if starting with just a few minutes of brisk walking a day. Then increase this by five to ten minutes each week until you can manage 150 minutes per week. Start with a few minutes a day and increase the amount by five or ten minutes every week until you reach your goal.
Osteopathy for ageing joints
Exercise alone is usually not enough. As joints and muscles get older, they are more vulnerable to stiffening and postural issues that accumulate over time.
This is where some gentle and intelligently applied help can really come in handy to keep you moving towards a happier and healthier retirement. An Osteopath can help your back and joints stay mobile enough for you to stay fit and strong. A regular MOT for the joints is a wonderful thing in maintaining your body’s health.
Looking after your body will pay you huge dividends in your future years, probably making it the best investment you can make.
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