The theme of National Senior Health Awareness Week this year is "Scientific Fitness Helps Elderly Health". On the issue of how to manage scientific fitness for the elderly, we interviewed Professor Wu Zhiyong, Vice President of Hainan Cancer Hospital and Executive Director of Hainan Chengmei Hospital.
Professor Wu Zhiyong is a well-known geriatrician in Hainan and has been engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of geriatric diseases for more than 30 years, obtaining rich experience.
Scientific fitness leads to optimal, and long-lasting workouts effect that can be very beneficial to the health of senior adults. Scientific fitness is especially important for the elderly population for physical reasons. Otherwise, it can be counterproductive, not only posing potential risks, but even causing unnecessary harm on their body.
How to achieve scientific fitness? Professor Wu Zhiyong introduced, first of all, we should make "tailor-made" fitness plan according to our own situation, the development of our own fitness, reasonable fitness time, and scientific fitness intensity. Now, specializing in the fitness needs of the elderly, many professional medical institutions carry out fitness and exercise function assessment and management, which could not only dynamically grasp the bodys basic "bottom line", but also operate risk management, and provide exercise prescription to make perfect combination of exercise and fitness, so that the elderly could obtain good fitness results.
However, for elderly patients with poor physical conditions, especially those with underlying diseases, it is important to operate scientific fitness under the guidance of professionals.
Fitness exercises are very diverse, and experts generally recommend slower-paced walking, jogging, tai chi and other aerobic exercises.
Exercise time selection should also be very scientific. Studies have shown that myocardial ischemia, angina pectoris, and acute myocardial infarction occur often between 6 and 12 oclock each day mostly. This is because the bodys coronary artery tone and sympathetic excitability are higher in this time period. Working out at this time can easily induce negative consequences. Therefore, its better to carry on elderly fitness exercise at the afternoon or in the evening.
Professor Wu Zhiyong especially reminds the elderly population to pay attention to the following points when doing fitness exercises:
The first is to exercise within your limitation. With organ and muscle function atrophy, osteoporosis, joint activity being limited, the elderly can not do weight-bearing exercise, because weight-bearing exercise is easy to cause bone, joint, ligament, muscle injury; do not do closed-air exercise, for it is easy to damage the respiratory muscles, and even cause alveolar rupture; do not carry out fast speed, high intensity of anaerobic exercise, which not only increases the burden on the heart, but also leads to hypoxia fainting because of the over-consumption of oxygen during the movement. Especially for people with heart disease and high blood pressure, high-intensity exercise can cause a sudden increase in pulse rate and blood pressure, which can lead to accidents.
Secondly, it is important to be scientific. The elderly population should have regular physical examination and choose a fitness program that suits their physical condition according to the exercise prescription given by their physician. Haste makes waste, fitness exercise should be gradual, planned, implemented gradually step by step, hasty may be counterproductive; its equally important to be persistent, you can not reach the fitness purpose without perseverance.
Thirdly, it is important to combine work and rest with balanced nutrition. It is important to maintain sufficient sleep and rest to relieve the bodys fatigue after working out and to regain strength for the next workout; and to eat a balanced diet with more easily digestible, high-vitamin, low-fat foods. It is not recommended to overeat after a workout due to hunger. Its good to supplement with appropriate carbohydrates and proteins to help restore stamina and muscle function. After sweating a lot while working out, take special care to stay hydrated.
Finally, pay special attention to safety. Safety is the first "priority" of fitness exercise for the elderly. Poorly managed fitness exercises can lead to side effects. Be aware of fall prevention, for the elderly, fractures and other injuries caused by exercise would even be irreversible; under physical discomfort during fitness process, stop exercise in a timely manner, and seek medical guidance; develop independent exploration of the law of exercise, and constantly summarize the enhancement to find fitness "code" for themselves.
Scientific fitness will not only prolong life, but also help the elderly to improve their quality of life and gain a better and happy life in their later years. Professor Wu Zhiyong encourages senior fellows to "get moving"!
Professor Wu Zhiyong, specialist in cardiovascular disease and geriatrics, is currently Vice President of Hainan Cancer Hospital and Executive President of Hainan Chengmei Hospital.
Medical specialty: Good at the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and geriatric diseases.