August – the month when women unite to celebrate their uniqueness and embrace the power that comes with being female. Women are special and so it makes sense that the ageing process, as well as the factors that influence ageing are different between the genders. So while there are a lot of similarities, there are some things that are uniquely female.
According to the World Health Organisation, women live an average four years longer than men. Life expectancy ranges from 58 – 80 across the world. However cardiovascular disease, which is often considered a “male” problem, is the number one cause of death in women. Luckily exercise substantially reduces not only the risk of cardiovascular disease but also many other chronic disease risk factors including breast cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and more. Women tend to live longer than men, as they make up 54% of people 60 years of age, 60% at age 75 and older, and to 70% at age 90 and older. As a result, it is even more important for older women to ensure that they maintain an active lifestyle achieving the correct type and amount of exercise. Being active is not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding quality life to your years.
The good news is that women over 50 feel happier, less anxious and more content than their male counterparts, as Dr Susan Nolen-Hoeksema from Psychology Today reports:
“Women’s full complement of strengths give them the mindset to celebrate older age as a time of joy, love, and fulfillment for all they have worked for and grown to be over their lifetimes. Old age is not just about surviving, it’s about flourishing. There is increasing evidence that most women feel a greater sense of fulfillment, self-actualization, reaching their peak- whatever you want to call it-as they grow older.”
One woman who has shown this to be true is Cher. At 71 she is as busy as ever, and can still do a plank for 5 minutes!
Since a young age she has been committed to living a healthy and active lifestyle, and she gives this advice; eat healthily, don’t drink or smoke, and most importantly, exercise! Cher told Hello! Magazine: “I exercise about five times a week because it’s something I’ve always done and I just enjoy it, I try to play the age card with my trainer but she just doesn’t go for it.”
Often we are tempted to reduce the amount of exercise we do a we get older, but hopefully Cher and other active women in your community inspire you to get up and get moving, and adopt an active lifestyle in your older years. Exercise has a whole host of benefits and can make you feel stronger, more mobile and more youthful as your get older, and the good news is, it is never too late to start.
This month, as we celebrate woman’s Day on the 9th of August, we want to encourage and inspire women over the age of 60 to join Silver Fit, a new and exciting exercise program that is specifically designed to keep older adults mobile, fit and strong. We believe in active ageing, and we look forward to starting a journey of improved health and quality of life with you.
Join us for a free trial class to learn more about what we do.
References:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs334/en/
http://www.medicaldaily.com/aging-differences-between-men-and-women-how-sexes-grow-old-together-and-apart-318632
http: //people.com/archive/cover-story-body-by-cher-vol-35-no-2/