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We are all getting used to parts of our body not working quite as easily or pain-free as they used to be and, let’s be honest, that is to be expected as we grow older. The great news is that we can slow down the process if we make the effort to exercise those joints and stay active. And it’s never too early or too late to start!
Some of you, who have been reading our weekly Newsletter for many months, may remember me talking about Auntie Pauline. Pauline is my auntie-in-law and is one very special lady. In fact, my hubby Mike has many a happy memory about how he and his brothers always looked forward to Auntie Pauline coming to stay when they were growing up because she was such good fun.
Just to recap, Pauline, who lives in Lincolnshire, had a couple of bad falls in her early 90s and ended up in an old people’s home. This all happened during lockdown and soon there was a problem. Because she couldn’t leave her room and couldn’t move much, she developed leg ulcers. Every week the district nurse visited to dress them but no progress was being made and she was told that the blood flow to her legs was so poor it was causing the problem.
As soon as I heard this, I sent Pauline one of our toning bands and gave her some simple exercises (which I taught her over the phone) that she could do in her room: sit to stand, ankle circling, bending and straightening with the band, and so on. She did the exercises diligently and soon the blood was flowing and the ulcers cleared. I was so proud of her for her determination and dedication to make herself well again.
It wasn’t long after lockdown had been lifted that Pauline decided she didn’t need to be in the home anymore and found herself a flat nearby and moved in. With the help of her carer, who popped in regularly cleaning and shopping, she managed really well.
Pauline is now 95 and is still as bright as a button. Last night I called her and enquired as to whether she was still doing her exercises. ‘Of course!’ came the response. Then I asked if she could still do ‘sit to stand’ and immediately she confirmed that she could and she didn’t need to use the chair arms to help her stand up! I was impressed.
It is obvious that Pauline ‘gets it’. She understands that she must stay physically active to be able to keep living on her own. She also stays motivated and mentally fit by socialising with her neighbours, reading and following sports. She also enjoys additional social visits from her new carers, a mother and daughter team, who love visiting her because she’s such fun. (Sadly, her previous carer passed away recently.)
Mary and I explain every week the importance of eating healthily and exercising regularly and if we do that, we will be doing the greatest thing to keep us well and able to live a happy and active life. But, not only that, we will also be helping our brains.
Sadly, as we age, many of us will experience a degree of memory loss, self-doubt, lack of confidence with tasks such as online banking, fear of driving a long distance or driving at night. But before we beat ourselves up too much, many younger people also feel such anxieties.
I can remember being shocked that my car was not where I thought I had parked it in town. Before I called the police, because I was positive that it must have been stolen, I gave myself a stern talking to and took time to stop and think! Thankfully, I did manage to remember that I had in fact parked my car three streets away. I was only in my early 50s! So just because we make a mistake, it doesn’t mean there is anything drastically wrong with our brain.
Cognitive decline is the term used to describe our reduction in the ability to remember, reason, learn and pay attention. But there are lots of things we can do to help ourselves to stave off the decline of our brain and Mary describes the many ways we can do just that in her very informative piece below.
We talk about ‘use it or lose it’ with respect to fitness, well it applies to our brain too. One of the reasons Mary and I are happy to write this Newsletter each week is because it forces us to use our brains – researching, writing and creating. We both still teach classes too. Teaching exercise to music challenges our brain and that’s good for us as well as for our members. It is also sociable – sociability is another brain booster! Even though I might have had a really busy day in various meetings on a Monday, going to my classes and seeing my class members is a social tonic for my brain.
If you are someone who doesn’t have much chance for socialising, please go and look for opportunities. There are friendship groups – walking buddies, church clubs, fitness classes, volunteering opportunities… the list is endless. And if you don’t want to go out, call someone who you haven’t spoken to for ages. Socialising doesn’t have to be in a group, it can be a one-to-one phone call.
Without a question of a doubt, if we want to be mentally and physically fit and well, and to live a longer life, we have to make some decisions. Losing weight if we need to; eating healthily; exercising regularly; getting enough sleep and socialising is the winning formula. No one else will do it for us so we must do it for ourselves.
Let’s make the effort.
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It does suggest, however, that most animals use memory in a different way from humans. Bees, for instance, have been shown to have little short-term memory but can remember the best locations where they previously found food.
