We all like the idea of ‘ageing healthily’ – keeping as active, mobile and independent as we can. Being able to enjoy life, keep doing the things we enjoy and love for as long as possible and not feel like a deterioration of our health is an inevitable side effect of getting older.
But what’s the secret?
A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed the evidence to assess whether physical activity could impact a particular physiological cocktail of hormones in the body.
The principle of healthy ageing is that all bodily systems interact in symphony to create a balanced and resilient cocktail of health.
The study explains that there are 2 key ingredients for a cocktail of healthy ageing, cortisol and a substance called: dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Due to age-related alterations to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the balance of these adrenal hormones may be challenged in ageing.
- Cortisol is commonly known as our stress hormone. As we age, cortisol rises, and the daily cycle of cortisol release gets challenged (we want sharp rises when we wake up, which should gradually decline during the day). Maintaining optimal amounts of cortisol can literally be lifesaving as this hormone is crucial to reducing inflammation. When cortisol levels are elevated longer term, this can negatively impact health.
- Dehydroepiandrosteron (DHEA) is a steroid hormone that gets converted into other hormones that our body needs to develop good health (such as testosterone and oestrogen). DHEA(S) production gradually increases in early life, peaks during our 20s, and steadily decreases into old age.
If you are physically active, healthy and resilient, you will likely have a good ratio of of Cortisol and DHEA, with lower levels of cortisol and higher levels of DHEA.
The good news is, you can be pro-active about getting the right balance of these hormones as you age, helping improve your chances of ageing more healthily. So, what’s the secret? PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!
This doesn’t just mean exercise, this also includes household chores, walking, gardening, travelling, playing with grandchildren, going shopping and any other things that you do that get you moving and slightly exerting yourself! However, the study found that like personal taste in cocktails, individually-tailored exercise programs are the most efficient way to improve stress and healthy ageing. To summarise, any exercise modality, whether aerobics, dancing, lifting weights, resistance band training, combined chair-based exercises, yoga, Qigong or Tai Chi, can improve this Cocktail of Healthy Ageing.
What we provide here at goPhysio is set up to do just this. We help in a number of ways…..
- Firstly, we help ensure you can stay and keep active by helping you sort out any pain or injury that may be slowing you down or holding your back through our Physio & Sports Therapy
- We offer a range of specialist services to help you exercise and be physically active. These include Pilates, Positives Steps and Exercise based rehabilitation. All of these services are tailored exactly to your needs to provide the best outcomes for you.
Read more about ‘A Cocktail of Healthy Ageing’ here.
