Hello <<First Name>> 
If you have visited our website for a while, you will probably have heard me mention my husband Mike’s Auntie Pauline. At age 92, Auntie Pauline is an inspiration – mentally sharp with a wit to match. But around 18 months ago Pauline had a fall and broke her hip. As she was recovering from that, she fell again and she agreed that she needed to go into a Care Home in Grimsby where she could be looked after around the clock and she has remained there ever since.
It was about 10 months ago she told me that the district nurse had been round to give her what she described as a blood pressure flow test. (Apparently this is a means of testing the ankle brachial pressure index which is widely used to diagnose Peripheral Arterial Disease.) On this day the nurse had struggled to even take a reading because her blood was so thick. Pauline had ulcers on her legs and these were heavily bandaged.
When Pauline told me this, I suggested that she should start exercising and, over the phone, we went through some simple exercises for her to practise every day. I also sent her one of our Toning Bands to help her strengthen her muscles. Ever since I have called her every other day to see how she is progressing. She is a perfect student and I love our chats.
One day she told me about a scam phone call she had received. The caller said they were calling as she ‘had recently had a car accident’. Pauline decided to have a bit of fun with them. ‘Yes!’ she said, ‘I did. It was a really serious one.’ To which the caller asked ‘Were you badly hurt?’ ‘Yes, very badly’, she said, ‘in fact, I had to go to hospital – and then I died!’ at which point the caller rang off! After her long career with the Humberside Police, she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
Over time Pauline started walking and exercising more and more and her ulcers completely healed and the bandages have gone. Ever since, she has kept up with her daily exercises, survived getting Covid and is now doing brilliantly.
This month, Pauline moves into a flat to live on her own again. Before she leaves the care home she is increasing her walking practise to boost her fitness. She has organised a ‘personal alarm’, called the Department of Work & Pensions to organise for her care allowance to be reinstated and for her to receive meals on wheels. And the care home staff are delighted that she is now so well enough that she can live independently again – though they say they will miss her as she made them laugh!
So, why am I telling you this story? Whether it is you who is feeling your age, or you have an elderly relative who you care for, I want to emphasise the vital importance of activity - no matter what our age. For those who find walking difficult, like Pauline, doing seated exercises, as demonstrated by Mary Morris on our site or by following my Forever Young Workout, will all help keep the blood flowing, the joints moving and the muscles stronger. Always remember, activity is the key to our health and our independence so don’t ever give it up!
Here are some videos that you might like to watch that explain why exercise is so important as we age: Exercise when Older, Ageing and Activity, So why bother Exercising? The exercises that I taught Auntie Pauline you will find in The Forever Young Workout and Flexibility. Take a look at Mary’s fitness challenge this week for more seated workouts.
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