Herald - Issue 389

Page 26 • The HERALD • 4th June 2020 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk v M & J Mobility Can give you.... Freedom on the Road • Hoists • Pedal Transfers • Wheelchair Carriers • Hand Controls • Ramps • Easy Release Hand Brake • Wireless Controls • Swivel Seats and help Maintain YOUR Independence Scooters Wheelchairs Powerchairs Li & Recline Chairs Walking Aids Bath Aids and lots more... Visit our showroom at: Independent Lifestyle Centre Old Lyndhurst Road, Cadnam SO40 2NL or call for a catalogue on: 023 8081 1949 Making Mobility Affordable WE CARE, YOU CARE Activity At Home For Older Adults Written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK Physical activity for older adults (aged 65+) while staying at home At a time when the population is being asked to stay at home, nding ways to keep active can be challenging. Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduction in chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health. For adults aged 65 years and over, it is particularly important to do strengthening activities to maintain physical function and slow down the decline in muscle mass while keeping bones strong. Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you meet the recommended amount of physical activity at home. How much physical activity is recommended? The Government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week for adults. is can be broken down into chunks of ten minutes or more. It is recommended that older adults also engage in activities that improve strength, balance and exibility on two days each week. If you are not used to doing this amount of physical activity, you can start small and build up to the recommended amount over time. Moderate Intensity Activities (150 minutes weekly) Your heart will beat faster, you will breathe harder, you will get warmer and you can maintain a conversation E.g. Brisk Walking, dancing, gardening or cycling Vigorous Intensity Activities (75 minutes weekly) Your heart will beat rapidly, you will breathe much harder, you will get warmer and it will be di cult to have a conversation E.g. Running, riding a bike fast or on hills, hiking uphill or energetic dancing Activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility (to be done on 2 days each week) E.g. Li ing light weights, push-ups, sit-ups, step- ups, heavy gardening and stretching. Find hobbies that get you moving If you tend to engage in hobbies that don’t require you to move very much, look for new hobbies that will get you moving, such as gardening, walking, weight-li ing or dancing. Avoid long periods of inactivity Set a timer to go o at speci c times throughout the day to prompt you to do ten (or more) minutes of physical activity. Any activity is better than none. You can include a variety of light, moderate and vigorous activities. E.g. a brisk walk, sit-ups, weight-li ing, gardening or housework. You can use tins of baked beans, or similar objects, for weight- li ing. Don’t be a couch potato Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show. Examples of some exercises you can do from your sofa can be found on the NHS website, and you can nd lots more healthy tips, advice and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk Responding to the announcement last month of an extra £600 million to be made available for infection control in care homes, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Social care is the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and we need to continue doing all we can to shield and protect our most elderly and vulnerable, for those in care homes and also those receiving care in their own homes. This extra funding for infection control in care homes is good news and will help councils’ public health teams in their efforts to reduce and prevent coronavirus outbreaks. In order to play their full part in defeating this disease, councils need extra help and information to understand where outbreaks more widely are happening and be able to act quickly to contain them. The Government needs to share this vital and up-to-date data with councils, as part of any contact tracing programme.” LGA Responds to Extra £600M Infection Control Care Home Funding