OCTOBER , 2018 | The HEALTH column 15
OCTOBER , 2018 | The HEALTH column 15
AGEING WELL
Part 4
BY DATO ’ DR RAJBANS SINGH
Fourth point in healthy ageing
Exercise I always say , is the best buy in public health and as Hippocrates said thousands of years ago , “ Walking is men ’ s best medicine ”. Whenever someone asks me what is the best anti-ageing tool , I always say exercise . Our body , just like a machine requires the right fuel and needs to be always moving , otherwise it will get rusty .
When we are young , we are usually more active and play games , ( though even this changing in the digital age ) but once we start working and have a family , we seem to get busy , busy and more busy , hence there is no time for exercise and of course once we retire we are too old with all those medical issues and bone and joint problems to exercise .
I am really amazed that something so important , so easy to do and free - if you do not want to join a fitness center is neglected by so many . The most common excuse is no time .
Making exercise a daily routine
The best way to overcome that is to make exercise a part of your routine at work . Get a pedometer and start walking 10,000 steps a day . When I first started this five years ago , I realised I was doing only 4000 steps a day .
“ The four exercises you need to incorporate are cardio , strengthening , flexibility and balance and core exercises . Always start with cardio and once you are fitter than add in the rest . If you have the time and money than working with a personal trainer can be beneficial especially in the beginning .”
I than started parking my car further , taking the stairs instead of the lift , taking the longer routes from my clinic to the wards until I was doing 10,000 steps a day . Once I got used to this , I than started climbing more number of steps a day to increase my endurance .
My next focus will be balance and flexibility . You start slow especially if you have never exercised before and if you are starting exercise for the first time after 40 , it is good to get a medical checkup first . Always start slow and build up from there . Take your time to go to the next stage .
Once the particular exercise you are doing seems to be too easy , then go to the next level . Remember you do not need to run a marathon or join a gym to start exercising . You can do it anywhere .
The four exercises you need to incorporate are cardio , strengthening , flexibility and balance and core exercises . Always start with cardio and once you are fitter than add in the rest . If you have the time and money than working with a personal trainer can be beneficial especially in the beginning .
Dato ’ Dr Rajbans Singh is the Malaysian Wellness Society president and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur consultant physician and geriatrician . He can be contacted at drrajbans . com
Getting over retirement guilt
IF you ’ re into your retirement and feeling guilty or filled with other emotions that are blocking the way to enjoying yourself , there are things you can do to brighten your outlook . 1 . Join a gym 2 . Continue your hobbies such as crocheting , gardening , dancing or golf 3 . Become politically active 4 . Try something new such as a new language , travelling or photography
5 . Go back to school by signing up and learning an area of interest you ’ ve always wanted too . If you ’ re homebound , take courses online .
6 . Volunteer at local society , library , hospitals and nursing homes . Volunteering will get you out and with people of all generations .
7 . Immerse yourself in culture by planning trips to local art galleries , museums and science centres to learn new things and see what you can recall . If you aren ’ t mobile , visit cultural institutions online .
8 . Get into games by looking for neighbors , members of your religious organisation or senior centre who are interested in similar pursuits and form a group that meets regularly to play .
9 . Become an emeritus by using your professional skills . If you were a teacher , consider reading to , or recording books for the visually impaired .