Healthy ageing starts with movement

As a boy, I dreamt of becoming an elder, because I admired the way senior citizens – some former government employees and others who had invested their money well – enjoyed their old age.

They were not required to wake up early and go to work like many middle-aged people did. Instead, they would spend their mornings drinking their favourite cup of coffee or tea and reading their beloved newspapers.

But my dream of being an elder changed after realising many of them, especially those based in rural areas, were suffering from chronic conditions associated with old age.

I noticed that many of my favourite people believed being old was a disease.

Believe it or not, many people, especially in rural areas, think it is compulsory for everyone over 50 or approaching 60 to be unhealthy.

Most of them are struggling to walk and do things that require them to use their energy.

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According to health experts, common conditions associated with old age include heart disease, dementia, diabetes, arthritis, loss of vision and hearing, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

A few days ago, I witnessed this first-hand as I visited my elderly parents in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

When I arrived, the first things I notice were the signs of being ill.

To give a context, my father is 85 years old, while my mother is 78.

Yes, I know I can’t expect these two to be as healthy as young people.

But had these two started exercising in their early 40s or 50s and continued, their health would’ve been better.

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Trust me, taking care of your body when you still can, will increase your chances of enjoying your old age without taking thousands of pills daily and regularly visiting the doctor.

Research shows exercising helps senior citizens to strengthen their bodies.

It also helps them to have stronger bones, lower the risk of chronic conditions, as well as improve their mental health.

After seeing my helpless parents, I looked at the recent picture of the actor, Chuck Norris, who is older than my father.

Norris is still good looking and healthy, yet he was born on 10 March 1940, while my father was born on 25 December the same year. Norris has been exercising since he was a young man and has never stopped.

When I see how working out in a gym worked well to prepare Norris for old age, as well as 79-year-old actor Sylvester Stallone, I believe the right thing to do is to take care of my body.

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I can then still accomplish my dream of enjoying being old when the time comes.

I commend the department of social development that keeps on encouraging the elderly to be active in sports and other related activities.

The department, in partnership with the South African Older Persons Forum, implemented an initiative named the Active Ageing Programme, which is aimed at upholding senior citizens’ human rights and responding to their developmental needs.

According to the article published on the department’s website, the initiative is also aimed at improving the quality of life of older persons and “promote independence and participation in various social, cultural and sporting initiatives that seek to prevent and reduce old-age related diseases”.

Much as the government is trying to assist to address this issue, families should also encourage the elders to play their part and do the right thing: start exercising.

It’s never too late…

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