We cannot escape ageing, but we can remain as active as possible! This is precisely the message of this year’s World Physiotherapy Day – movement is the key to healthy ageing.
By 2050, there will be more than 2 billion people over the age of 60 worldwide – which makes healthy ageing more important than ever before. Good physical fitness in later years means much more – independence, self-reliance, and connection with others.
We asked kinesiologist Gašper Kovač from KineoSpot, who also works with exercise programs for older adults, what benefits physical activity brings not only to seniors but to everyone.
If we put aside all the scientific and physiological explanations and descriptions of the human body, we are, in fact, quite simple beings. We develop in the areas to which we devote time. If we go to school and study, we will think better and faster. The same applies to movement. If we train strength, our muscle capacity improves, and we can more easily lift heavy loads. If we train balance, we become more stable. Everyday sudden and unexpected movements do not cause us problems, as we can quickly change our body position. Strong and coordinated legs catch us, helping us avoid a fall. Older adults, in particular, benefit greatly from the physical adaptations that come with regular strength, balance, and coordination exercises. A fall is the leading cause of hospitalization and even death in people over 65. In fact, one in four older adults is likely to fall at least once a year.
Our body is like a machine with many “components.” During and after exercise, many of these “parts” work with increased intensity. As years of regular exercise pass, these components begin to function more economically or optimally. This means muscles are better supplied with blood, leading to a later onset of calcification in the shoulder. The knee is more stabilized, and wear and tear appears later. The back signals earlier when the body has had enough static positions and needs healthy movement – preventing the development of hernias. It also means more elastic blood vessels, a heart muscle that pumps blood more efficiently, lungs that breathe in more oxygen, and less visceral fat, which would otherwise press on organs and hinder their function. We mustn’t forget the most energy-demanding organ – the brain – which not only begins to function more economically but also more positively. In short, if there were a pill that contained all the effects of exercise, it would be a best-seller.
Let these words serve as encouragement: it is never too late to start. Movement strengthens not only the body but also the sense of safety and joy in life. Every step counts – that’s why today is the best day to begin, no matter your age.
