This is page is intended to give you a summary of the health benefits we are promoting at the Active Age Centre. Please note that this has not been written by a medical professional and if you are suffering from or are concerned about your health you should consult your GP before undertaking any of our activities.
As you get older your body’s metabolism slows down and it is easy to put on extra weight. With our exercise programme and information on healthy eating and cooking we hope that we can avoid this being a problem for you.
In addition to the general feeling of lethargy and depression by putting on too much weight you are putting yourself at risk of developing other health problems such as Type 2 Diabetes, Osteoarthritis and Coronary Heart Disease.
By staying active in later life you will reduce the risk of putting on extra weight; if you have put on too much weight then by becoming more active you will aid your effort to lose the excess. Before undertaking any exercise which is strenuous or new to you it is important that you consult your GP.
High Blood Pressure or Hypertension can be caused by a multitude of things such as a high salt diet, stress oranxiety and obesity. Having High Blood Pressure increases the risk of Stokes, Heart Attack or Heart Failure and is the main cause of kidney failure.
Weight loss, stopping smoking, regular exercise and changing your diet are the most common ways of preventing and treating High Blood Pressure. Our programme of activities could assist you to achieve these aims. Once again though please do consult with your GP before undertaking a programme of strenuous exercise.
We all know of the risk that Coronary Heart Disease poses by way of heart attacks. Changing you diet, increasing exercise, stopping smoking and reducing stress levels are the best methods of treatment. Exercise does not have to be strenuous hard or exhausting - by simply keeping active you reduce the risk of heart disease.
Although there are some risk factors we can’t change, there are steps we can take that might help to protect us from developing dementia in later life. Evidence suggests that a healthy diet and lifestyle may protect against dementia. Being active and engaged as we get older is good for our quality of life and just possibly may also protect us from developing dementia.
It is interesting that two major heart disease risk factors – high blood pressure and high cholesterol – also turn out to be influential in dementia.
Some studies have suggested that people who engage in little physical activity and watch television excessively are at increased risk of dementia. Other research has shown that engaging in physical exercise, travelling, odd jobs, knitting and crossword puzzles is associated with a reduced risk.
Depression can be caused by many unpleasant events such as the loss of a loved one, financial concerns and poor health.
You may feel better if you keep physically, mentally and socially active whilst following a healthy diet. In the future we intend to run anxiety, stress and depression management courses, but you can also help to prevent depression by keeping yourself active so why not have a look at the events we are currently running and see what appeals to you?
Information can be obtained from our centre.