Older people should go from sitting to standing ‘as much as possible’ during the day to maintain strength and guard against back problems, according to an expert. Meri-Tuuli Laaksonen is a physiotherapist with a masters degree in health and sports sciences. She is also the co-founder of Gubbe, an elderly care service which launched in London last month offering preventive and rehabilitative care to help seniors stay independent and active.
Meri-Tuuli recommends people over the age of 65 get on their feet regularly throughout the day, and spend as much time as they can outdoors. She said: “It’s really important that people of all ages stay active and go outside. When people reach retirement it’s often the case that daily movement goes down quite a lot.
“They might have previously walked to work, for example, or had an active job. If people don’t exercise regularly then physical functional ability can decrease really fast.”
The NHS recommends people over the age of 65 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active. They also advise reducing the amount of time spent sitting or lying down.
Meri-Tuuli continued: “Sitting is really bad for you. Working from a laptop all day or spending an extended period of time on the sofa in front of the TV puts a lot of stress on the spine.
“The most important movement is going from sitting to standing. It’s very simple but it’s something that really makes your life easier. It works the most important muscles for keeping your walking on a good level.
“Once you’re up, do the ironing, do the cooking, do anything really, just make sure you stand up regularly. Don’t always sit. If you do have to sit, try doing it on an exercise ball to challenge your balance.”
As well as spending time on your feet, Meri-Tuuli recommends doing some movements with a little ‘bounce’, if you are able.
She said: “For your muscles, it’s good if you can do a little bit of something like jumping or running. Perhaps 10 to 20 jumps a day, which should improve bone density which declines as we age.”
Strength training and maintaining good balance is also important in later years.
A study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggested regular exercise with weights is linked to a lower risk of early death. Researchers found a combination of aerobic and strength training was the most beneficial.
Meri-Tuuli said: “As we get older we lose muscle mass so strength training, especially for lower limbs, is important. It’s also key to do exercise which gets your heart rate up and do things which challenge your balance.
“It is often these things which make a difference when it comes to the elderly having falls.”
Gubbe pairs older people with helpers, often students, who they share common interests with. They can then help with household chores, take them out for walks, run errands together or simply indulge in interests such as gardening.
The aim is to help older people stay active and engaged in their later years, and to provide comfort to families who might not be able to visit their relatives as often as they would like.
New research by Gubbe, carried out in Finland, showed its service helped to double the number of outdoor activities for customers each week.
Meri-Tuuli says it is often the fear of falling which stops people from wanting to go outside, but with a Gubbe Helper some of that fear is taken away.
As the weather gets colder, Meri-Tuuli recommends older people invest in sturdy shoes and warm clothing to protect them against bitter temperatures.
