Staying active as we age is one of the best ways to stave off some of the health problems that can beset us in older age. But, the fear of falling, overdoing it or causing an injury can put some people off from getting moving. Fortunately, outdoor personal alarms can give peace of mind and confidence to older people who wish to remain active through the ages. Plus keeping the elderly active with an outdoor personal alarm system will only boost their health and wellbeing for the future. Read on to find out how.
The benefits of an active lifestyle in later life
According to the British Heart Foundation, the older we get, the less time we spend being active. It sounds obvious of course, once you retire you leave behind your commute, the time spent walking to a local cafe for lunch, walking flights of stairs between office floors. The statistics paint a clear yet worrying figure: people between the ages of 55 and 62 spend, on average, 22.4% of their time sedentary – and this increases to 27.9% for those aged 85 and older.
Yet, keeping active is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your mobility later in life and stay healthy. Of course we’re not suggesting you take up marathon running, but following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation of at least 150 active minutes every week can be vital to safeguarding your health both now and in the future.
A lack of exercise will have a significant impact on our joints and muscles. Without regular movement they can become stiff and achy, making it even harder to get moving and increasing the risk of developing arthritis, which further limits flexibility.
In addition, being sedentary is linked to a whole host of chronic health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure and problems with joints. It can also increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. And the solution: Getting active!
What’s stopping you?
The two biggest factors for not pursuing an active lifestyle are: failing to develop new habits as your lifestyle changes and the fear factor. Fortunately both are easy to fix.
Develop new habits
As we age our lifestyles slow down, but that doesn’t have to mean parking yourself up on the sofa for the day. Think about how you can add in new routines and habits to increase your daily activity. For example, a daily walk with the dog, a trip on foot to pick up a newspaper each morning, or for those who are already feeling the strain, easy chair-based exercises that can be followed online.
The best way to ensure you stick to them is to build them into your daily routines. This way it feels less of an effort, and you’ll barely notice you’re doing it. And of course, the more you do and the more you move, the easier you will find it to keep moving.
Overcoming the fear factor
Conversely the less you move, the harder you will find it, and the more prone you will be to having an accident. Which is where out and about personal alarms can make a life-changing difference. These wearable alarms are designed to be worn outside of the home, supporting the elderly to stay active. You simply pop on your outdoor personal alarm when you leave the house, and off you go – a walk around the block, a trip to see an old friend, or a visit to the shops will come with added protection. Should the worst happen and you have a slip, fall or medical incident, help is available at the press of a button. You will be quickly connected to our expert response team who will determine what help is needed and ensure it is received promptly.
Keeping the elderly active is part of our job description
Careium is devoted to keeping the elderly active so they can live a long and healthy life. Our outdoor personal alarms help to facilitate this – contact us to find out more about what we can offer you.