This thought provoking title was one of the workshops at our Grey Matters conference. It was presented by our very own Allan Ferchuk. He is well known in the halls of Red Deer College as well as in the rink, as he was the coach of the RDC Men’s Hockey team. Allan spoke to us about the importance of physical activity in our everyday lives. Why do we need to be active and take control of our health and fitness? Well because it gives us mental vigor, it supports emotional integrity and capacity; it allows us to make choices in our lifestyle opportunities and contributes to our self-esteem and self-concept. One of the interesting concepts he talked about is what kind of activity do we do, is it a “spring” activity or a “fall” activity. That relates to the four seasons and our bodies are also affected by the four seasons and we need to ensure that we are always staying in the spring. Coming alive, being active, and not getting ready for hibernation – the fall – the couch potato syndrome. The other cycle that we need to remember is our daily cycle, move-eat-sleep. Our body is a living organism that requires movement to keep all parts functioning properly, it requires food to fuel the muscles, brain, and the rest of the body, as well as sleep to recoup and rebuild so that it can carry your through the next day. When we first started walking on this earth men were programmed to work (run-lift-fight), and women to forage (walk-run-lift), so our bodies were designed to do physical things. We need to continue to do that. Exercise helps maintain functional mobility and balance. The new standards found in the Physical Activity Guide states that people over 65 needs to do 150 minutes a week of cardio exercise (at least 3x a week). Strength training is also something that should be included in your fitness routine. These two components of exercise have shown to help with cognitive function, as well as chronic disease management such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.
Allan’s prescription for developing a culture for positive aging was:
• Exercise 6x week
• Aerobic exercise 2x week
• Strength exercise 2 – 3x week
• Quit eating garbage
• Care about what you are doing
• Connect and commit to doing it
So, do something that will help you, and that is move your body. See what is happening at the Golden Circle or join a gym close to you. Take a walk. Start small and then expand your distance. One of our members has been walking for about year now and has lost over 60 pounds. Build some challenges in your walking route, do a hill, set of stairs, do not go the same way all the time, change it up. You can age well or you can decay, it is your choice. Christmas is a time of year where we tend to over indulge in sweets and food. Keep a healthy balance.
The Golden Circle wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Next year, 2022 is our 45th Anniversary so stay tuned for exciting ways to celebrate the 45 years that we have been serving Red Deer and area.