Physical activity is essential for successful aging.
One of the workshops for “Aging well”, offered Thursday, February 23 by Arcopred to senior Portelais, raised awareness of physical activity to preserve gestural autonomy.
The speaker, Maryse Caumette, physiotherapist, recalled that it was important to choose an activity that can be practiced regularly, in pairs or in groups to maintain social ties (gardening, walking the grandchildren, playing boules , etc.). 30 minutes a day (or 2.5 hours a week) is enough and do not exceed 6 hours a day sitting or lying down while awake.
To maintain physical well-being, breathing brings oxygen to all the cells of the body and eliminates carbon dioxide: “This ventilation must be adapted to the effort, and the time of expiration must be done on the effort and be twice the time of inspiration “.
As joints age with age, to maintain good musculature, simple exercises were explained: upon waking up in bed, to make your spine more flexible; maintain the shoulders and shoulder blades by rotating then raising the shoulders up and releasing; raise your arms with the help of the wall, for example, to gain amplitude. “Even if it’s difficult, you have to do it, very slowly if it hurts at first, but don’t give up so as not to lose mobility. It’s up to you to find tricks like using a stick“, explained the physiotherapist.
Do not forget to soften the elbows, the hand, the wrists; doing sit-ups on the ground; work the hip that carries us by doing glutes and moving the leg; in a seated position, to avoid problems of osteoarthritis of the knees, straighten the leg; also maintain the ankles and feet by unrolling the step, etc.
“Move the joints gently every day so that they have all worked by the end of the week. And finally pay attention to your posture by squeezing the shoulder blades to avoid lower back pain when walking or sitting and also work the pectorals, abdominals, waist and buttocks“.
J. G.
