{"id":1832,"date":"2022-01-03T14:29:01","date_gmt":"2022-01-03T13:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=1832"},"modified":"2022-01-04T14:30:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T13:30:34","slug":"physical-activity-for-the-elderly-is-part-of-human-evolution-study-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2022\/01\/03\/physical-activity-for-the-elderly-is-part-of-human-evolution-study-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Physical Activity for the Elderly Is Part of Human Evolution, Study Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

The days when it was widely believed that senior citizens should, for their own sake, limit their physical activities to playing with the TV remote control and taking slow walks in the park are long gone. But no one seems to be sure just how much activity a healthy octogenarian should do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to recent research published<\/a> in the journal\u00a0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, maintaining a high degree of\u00a0activity<\/a> is good for the elderly and apparently always has been. Basing their research on the active lifestyles of our hunter-and-gatherer ancestors of around 12,000 years ago, the authors maintain that even back then it was common for humans to live into their 70s because of their continued physical activity.<\/p>\n

Remaining active well past their reproductive years had enormous benefits for our active ancestors, such as enhanced blood flow, reduced storage of fat, efficient repair of DNA processes and the release into the bloodstream of anti-inflammatory compounds. In what they call the \u201cactive grandparent hypothesis\u201d, the researchers propose that evolution favoured those who engaged in lifelong physical activity because it reduces vulnerability to chronic disease.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to us today in the West, trying to recover from a sedentary lifestyle with a renewed emphasis on physical fitness and exercise. But how often do we see, in advertising, on TV or in the cinema, images of senior citizens on bicycles or in fitness studios? Almost never.<\/p>\n

It seems that we are still not comfortable with seeing our ageing parents or even our grandparents pumping iron or riding a bike up a long, steep slope. And, let\u2019s face it, many elderly people are also more than a little wary of tackling that slope \u2013 or even taking a brisk ride on flat ground. And yet, as this study notes, there has been a great deal of research emphasizing the fact that moving more and doing more as you age peps up the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and improves the body\u2019s immune function<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Neel Anand, M.D<\/a>., professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, told<\/a> Bicycling magazine that people who think they need more rest as they age are mistaken. \u201cSome people think they need to rest more as they get older \u2013 especially if they develop osteoarthritis \u2013 but the opposite is true for building bone density,\u201d he said. The trick is to ease into your exercise program. \u201cGet on your feet and move, for at least 10 minutes every hour,\u201d Anand said.<\/p>\n

Setting goals and maintaining a consistent schedule help make physical activity into a routine, and then you can gradually increase the variety of your activities \u2013 and boost your enjoyment. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to plan on hours at the\u00a0gym<\/a>. Start with a\u00a0walk<\/a>\u00a0or hiking,\u201d he said. After that, you can move on to other, more intense activities, such as simple weightlifting, yoga and, of course, cycling. The key is to keep moving.<\/p>\n

Because as the study\u2019s authors conclude: \u201cExtended human healthspans and lifespans are both a cause and effect of habitual physical activity, helping explain why lack of lifelong physical activity in humans can increase disease risk and reduce longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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