Article reposted from Illawarra Mercury August 2022
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7847017/keeping-fit-as-we-age/
We all know that maintaining our fitness is a key factor to enjoying a good quality of life. And this is especially true as we get older, because we naturally lose muscle strength and function as we age, and this process is called “Sarcopenia”.
From the age of 30, the average person loses around 2% of leg strength each year and this loss accelerates over the age of 60 due to Sarcopenia.
Sarcopenia not only impacts our ability to engage in physical activity but also carry out our day-to-day activities such as carrying groceries, hanging out the washing and walking the dog.
It’s not all bad news however, because research shows us that sarcopenia can be slowed, stopped and even reversed.
Regular exercise that includes a mix of strength, aerobic and balance training has been shown to be effective in enhancing muscle strength and functionality thereby combating sarcopenia.
Lilliana Barone, founder of Elossa Fitness (a specialised gym for people aged 60 years and over) believes that age should not preclude us from enjoying an engaged and active life. “Although losing muscle mass, strength and function is a natural part of ageing, science tells us this is not an inevitable journey we can slow, stop or even reverse this process with the right sort of exercise.’
Lilliana, who has a Masters Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and has worked for the past 20 years as a specialised clinical lead in aged care has a keen interest in health and wellbeing in ageing. “Elossa Fitness is a specialised gym for people aged 60 years and over. I wanted to create a unique space where older people of all levels of fitness could come and feel comfortable and supported. Our circuits are designed to improve functional fitness and combat sarcopenia. Our aim is to help our members become a stronger and healthier version of themselves.
‘We have a team of highly skilled exercise physiologists and exercise scientists so members can be reassured that they are receiving the latest expert and science-based advice’.
For older Australians the latest physical activity guidelines recommend older adults should do at least 150 minutes each week of moderate aerobic exercise, including resistance training 2 or 3 times per week.
Unfortunately only 25% of older Australian’s are meeting these guidelines with 1/3 not even doing 30 minutes per week. Regular exercise is more than just about the fitness benefits. Being physically active can reduce our risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis as well as improve psychological wellbeing and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
As we get older we are also at increased risk of a fall, in fact one in three Australians over the age of 65 have had a fall in the past 12 months and one in five of those falls have required hospitalisation.
Specialised exercise programmes like the ones at Elossa, can improve the overall health and wellbeing of older adults.
If you or someone you know is interested in further information, please phone 0452 356 772 or visit the website elossafitness.com