Good nutrition and regular exercise is important for everyone of all ages but we should pay particular attention as we are ageing, especially over the age of 50. Our dietary requirements can change for many different reasons but as we age both men and women become prone to certain disorders, particularly disorders affecting the bones or cardiovascular system.
The age-old mantra of move more, eat less is too simplistic and you risk missing out on vital vitamins and minerals if you just cut out meals. The word diet is loaded and many of us associate the word with meaning eating less but really, we should be looking more closely at what we are eating. Fuel Your Body No matter how active you are it’s really important you are fuelling your body to give it the energy it needs. It can be tempting to eat less when you are trying to lose weight and get fit, but you are putting yourself at risk of injury or illness if you are not properly fuelling yourself. The important thing to remember is to try and make sure you are eating more healthy, nutrient dense foods and less of the foods that are high in salt and sugar (convenience foods and snacks such as crisps and biscuits). The government Eatwell Guide is an easy to understand example of what you should try to include in your meals to ensure you are getting the right balance of each food group in your meals. Healthy Ageing To continue living an active life as we age it’s important to make sure you stay active and eat well. The current government guidelines suggest that older people (over the age of 65) should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. You should also include at least 2 sessions a week where you focus your activities on strength, balance and flexibility.
Contact Amanda if you have any questions about good nutrition and exercise for a healthy lifestyle.
0 Comments
Research by Sport England shows significant reduction in physical activity among the older (75+) population since the pandemic began. In fact, their data suggests up to 49% of the over 75’s are inactive.
This is a worrying trend given how important exercise is for our physical and mental well-being, especially as we age. How our bodies change as we age:
How exercise benefits the ageing body: Strength Training
Group Exercise There can be no doubt that exercising in a group is one of the best ways to enjoy more exercise:
It’s never too late to make a positive change to your lifestyle, starting out slowly with a daily walk and some gentle strength exercises can make a big difference to your mobility and strength. Joining a class such as Move it or Lose It is a great way to get into regular exercise without putting unnecessary pressure on your body. As with all exercise it’s important you check with your doctor before starting anything new, especially if you haven’t exercised in a long while. We are excited to share that Amanda was featured in the Instructors Spotlight at Move It Or Lose It this month. You can read her interview here:
Instructors Spotlight - Move It Or Lose It This month we had a catch up with one of our instructors, Amanda Abbott, who runs her classes at various locations in Lincolnshire. We asked Amanda a few questions and here's what she had to say. How did you find out about the FABS course? I saw an ad on Facebook. What did you do before becoming a Move it or Lose it instructor? I'm a level three personal trainer and hold Level 3 Designing Exercise Programmes for the Senior Population too, so I did personal training and a couple of "chairobics" classes. What made you want to do the FABS course? It seemed like the natural progression from the courses I'd already done. What do you love most about being an instructor? Seeing people improve. Seeing their faces when something 'goes right'. Have you had any funny moments in your classes? So many! Once doing the pass the baton around the circle game, I had left my bag of spare batons behind a gentleman (the group joker!). Every time I called 'stop' to get the group to do a move in between the passing there seemed to be an extra baton! Then there were two extra batons. Every time there were more and more batons in the circle. The gentleman in question kept dipping into the bag of spares and adding them into the circle. It took me quite a while to work out what was happening. Meanwhile a few in the circle had worked it out or had seen the extra batons being added. I couldn't believe I was so slow to pick up on what was happening. We had a great laugh that day! What's your favourite music track to use in a class? I don't really have a favourite. I plan my routines to last for around 6 weeks. Every routine has a bit of a theme, so at the moment I'm doing Autumn/Halloween. Amongst the tracks being used at the moment we've got Time Warp and Thriller for the aerobic section; Ghost Town by The Specials for the strength section and Autumn Leaves for the cool down. I like a good box step to the right music as you can really get into the beat - my groups like it too! What would you say to anyone thinking about doing the FABS course and becoming an instructor? Be prepared for a lot of hard work, working out playlists and routines are very time consuming. But the sense of achievement when you deliver a good routine; when the group all works together in unison; the smiles on the clients faces and the laughter make this a very rewarding occupation. What are your hobbies? Open water swimming, cycling (road and off-road), taekwondo. gardening, baking and sewing. What is your favourite food? Any recipe with lamb! What is your favourite TV programme? Tricky this - I always forget when dramas are on so I'll watch one episdoe then forget it's on. I'm not good with catch-up tv. The Great British Sewing Bee and Great British Bake Off are my 'must see' programmes though. What is your guilty pleasure? I love going for long walks with my dog (Cocker Spaniel called Bailey) and will organise my weekly schedule so that I have one afternoon a week to go for a lovely long walk in the local countryside. |
Archives
August 2023
Categories
All
|