{"id":3913,"date":"2020-02-11T11:39:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T11:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/?p=3913"},"modified":"2020-03-09T08:26:06","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T08:26:06","slug":"growing-old-is-inevitable-growing-strong-is-a-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/your-later-life\/growing-old-is-inevitable-growing-strong-is-a-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing old is inevitable, growing strong is a choice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-4403\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211256\/P5-ISCP-Katie-Hayes-Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211256\/P5-ISCP-Katie-Hayes-Headshot.jpg 250w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211256\/P5-ISCP-Katie-Hayes-Headshot-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Katie Hayes<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Chartered Physiotherapists, Member of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists\u00a0 <\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box right round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-3930\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211308\/Online-Irish-Society-of-Chartered-Physios-Edel-McDaid-Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211308\/Online-Irish-Society-of-Chartered-Physios-Edel-McDaid-Headshot.jpg 250w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211308\/Online-Irish-Society-of-Chartered-Physios-Edel-McDaid-Headshot-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Edel McDaid<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Chartered Physiotherapists, Member of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists <\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ageing well is like a pension plan. It will match your investment. Pension plans save small amounts over long periods to futureproof your financial self <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Society considers\npensions so important that many sectors operate a mandatory pension\ncontribution scheme. Yet, as much as we prepare for future loss of income, we\nrarely consider a loss of strength. Rather than <em>financial<\/em>\nfutureproofing, why not think about <em>functional<\/em> futureproofing? There are\nsmall \u2018contributions\u2019 we can make to our body strength over our lifetime that\nwill accumulate into a bounty worthy of \u2018interest\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The ageing muscle and improving functional ability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the&nbsp;age of 45, we are generally\nthinking about our pensions and financial security for later life. But this is\nalso a critical time for your muscles. From the age of 45, the quality and\nquantity of muscle mass in our body begins to reduce in size, strength&nbsp;and\npower.&nbsp;Although this is a normal process, it may have a significant impact\non our ability&nbsp;to function in our later life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The benefits translate into all aspects of everyday life; lifting your grandchild with ease, taking all the shopping in one go. It allows you to channel more energy into doing the things that mean something to you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Functional ability is being able to do essential parts of daily life e.g. get up each day, take care of yourself and others, walk and enjoy your hobbies. The rate at which we are affected depends on our activity levels: inactivity can accelerate the decline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This age-related loss of muscle is called \u2018sarcopenia\u2019,\nwhich in Greek means, \u201cpoverty of strength.\u201d Sarcopenia is associated with the\nchallenges we strive to combat in later life: reduced balance, loss of\nindependent living and death. But, no need to despair, we\u2019re not saying your\nmuscles are going to go broke and declare bankruptcy. They are just prone to\nlosing some value over time; but you can have the power to change that.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Boost your muscle bank with resistance training<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is within the problem. The \u2018poverty\nof strength\u2019 can be replenished with resistance exercise. If you haven\u2019t\nalready, it\u2019s time to open a muscle bank account. By making deposits\n(exercising) throughout your lifespan you can slow down the process of\nsarcopenia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research has shown that there are no \u2018non-responders\u2019\nto resistance exercise so, no matter what your level or exercise history, you\ncan gain from this simple pension contribution. In fact, research shows that,\nin some cases, resistance training reversed the signs of ageing in muscle, even\nin the very old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with this delay in the ageing process,\nresistance exercise is empowering. Confidence blossoms from knowing that you are\nstronger than you were yesterday. It can strengthen the sense of self. The\nbenefits translate into all aspects of everyday life; lifting your grandchild\nwith ease, taking all the shopping in one go. It allows you to channel more\nenergy into doing the things that mean something to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The role of physiotherapists in muscle matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this analogy, physiotherapists would be\nthe pension planner, here to tailor the exercise plan to your specific needs,\nabilities and goals. When looking at strengthening and building up the weight\ntolerated over time, it is individual to each person and can often be dependent\non other health issues. This is where the physiotherapist as an exercise\nspecialist can guide you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together with the physiotherapist you can\nfind the plan that works for you. Like all health commitments it needs to be\nindividualised, sustainable and enjoyable. The interest rates are very\nattractive as resistance training not only combats ageing muscles but also\nstrengthens your bones. Twice the return for a single investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A take home message to take to the \u2018bank\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay into your pension; more muscle in the\nbank sets you up for retirement. Don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s never too late to start. If\nyou don\u2019t know what works for you and your ability, consult a Chartered\nPhysiotherapist to help you start your strength journey. Growing old is\ninevitable, growing strong is choice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ageing well is like a pension plan. It will match your investment. Pension plans save small amounts over long periods to futureproof your financial self Society considers pensions so important that many sectors operate a mandatory pension contribution scheme. Yet, as much as we prepare for future loss of income, we rarely consider a loss &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/your-later-life\/growing-old-is-inevitable-growing-strong-is-a-choice\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":4402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4048],"tags":[4489],"class_list":["post-3913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-later-life","tag-your-later-life-2020"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211256\/GettyImages-980094250-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2020\/02\/07211256\/GettyImages-980094250-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Health Awareness","author_link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/author\/jennyhyndman\/"},"vicky_index_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3913"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4409,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3913\/revisions\/4409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}