FITNESS HELPS WITH RECOVERY

By Ryhaan Shah

We have looked at the positive impact that good diet, regular exercise and a healthy mindset can have on us as we age. We cannot stop the ageing process; it’s a natural development that we all experience, but ageing does not mean that we will inevitably or eventually become ill.
Getting older does increase the risk for certain chronic conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart attack, arthritis and certain mental illnesses like dementia. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is known to reduce the risk of such illnesses significantly.
Looking at ageing solely as a disease that leads to illness and decline perpetuates ageist stereotypes which can cause family members or healthcare providers to misinterpret or ignore treatable health issues.
In the broadest terms, ageing occurs because of the passage of time, and it occurs at various levels: biological, molecular, functional and even social. Our ability to stay healthy or recover from an illness depends on our entire system working well together.
Keeping physically fit is one of the most effective ways for us to recover from illness. It boosts the immune system, reduces systemic inflammation, and rebuilds lost muscle mass, allowing us to bounce back faster from hospitalisations or infections while maintaining our precious long-term independence.
A single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – walking, cycling, or swimming, for instance – provides immediate benefits for our health.
This includes better sleep and feeling rested, less anxiety, and reduced blood pressure. In the long term, regular exercise improves our brain health, reduces the risk of depression and diseases such as dementia, and also lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Maintaining baseline fitness before or during the early stages of an illness significantly alters our recovery trajectory. Regular movement improves our immune system and our white blood cell circulation and enhances the body’s ability to resist infectious diseases, and fit elders have been known to develop and retain stronger antibody responses to vaccinations.
Illness often involves periods of bed rest, which can lead to rapid muscle loss and frailty. However, even a basic fitness level gives the body a reserve that will help to stave off severe physical decline and disability during recovery.
For older adults recovering from surgery or acute illness, physical activity helps improve our joint mobility, which prevents the stiffness that can come with prolonged rest, and it also helps to quicken our rehabilitation.
Altogether, being fit and healthy before an illness means that we are more likely to recover from that illness. Fitness provides more energy for recovery, as does having a good diet, a proper weight, and restful sleep. These work together to provide the resources for recovery.
A health setback does not have to be fatal just because we are older. With support from family and friends and the right medical care, we can look forward to living for years to come.
I have just had my annual medical check-up. My doctor prescribed an ECG and blood tests to check my heart attack risk, cholesterol levels, my kidney and liver function, and a test that would indicate any risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This annual check-up gives me peace of mind, and while, happily, the results indicate no current health issues, I do continue to take my daily medication for hypertension.
At a private lab, the tests cost $42,000, and I have advocated in a previous column for the government to provide a free, annual check-up for every elderly person in our nation. President Irfaan Ali wants his government to be able to provide world-class health care for every citizen. This is a very worthwhile goal, and caring for the elderly who have worked at all levels of our society and provided various services to the nation should be a priority.
Nelson Mandela stated it best when he said: “A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.” He believed that caring for the elderly is a fundamental obligation of a state that honours the generation that built the foundations for democracy.
We have just celebrated the golden jubilee of our independence from colonial rule. It is exactly this generation, who are now 70 and older, that not only witnessed this important life-changing event, but many stayed through the hard times and contributed to the nation’s development.
While ageing is not optional, how we manage this change at a personal and national level can help to improve the quality of life for the elderly and even save lives in the process.