Why it’s never too late to start working out, as gym granny shows – just pick the exercise you like and take it from there
For old people, fitness is often about being able to function independently. Being strong enough to lift boxes off shelves, walk up and down stairs, carry groceries and do laundry is what matters
Three years ago, she couldn’t do a single push-up and certainly had never heard of a “reverse fly”. Today, Solveig McCulloch, 79, can do 10 push-ups easily and pumps her 2.3 kilogram dumbbells.
“I am definitely stronger, and my balance and flexibility are better, too,” said McCulloch, who at 76 started exercising regularly for the first time: twice-weekly strength training and daily walking.
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Working out was not a trend for McCulloch’s generation. That said, the United States’ National Council on Ageing reports that more than 50 per cent of America’s elderly are active at least four times per week. In Hong Kong, a Behavioural Risk Factor Survey in April 2016 showed 28 per cent of adults aged 18-64 had not done any moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least 10 minutes at a time and only 44.6 per cent had done some vigorous physical activity during the week before the survey.
It’s never too late to start working out, Washington-based sports medicine doctor Justin Mullner says. “You can see dramatic benefits from exercising in older adults.”
These benefits include prevention of osteoporosis and muscle loss, as well as improved blood pressure and blood glucose levels.