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Old age is a blessing but it can come with health challenges. In this piece, SEGUN ODUNAYO chronicles the stories of sickly old people who obtained a new lease of life by embracing exercises
Mrs Rosalind Umar took to boxing at 72. She got boxing kits, hired a trainer and has consistently trained for over a year now. Now 73, she could not possibly be preparing for Olympics. For her, the motivation is not the prospect of getting into the ring and winning a belt or a title — it is simply a survival strategy.
A lawyer by training, Umar had a healthy and productive work-life experience as a government employee. But things began to fall apart after she crossed the age of 50. She began to suffer a myriad of health issues and the doctors said there was only one way out — exercise.
During a visit to her FESTAC home in Lagos in July, the septuagenarian, who was found in the middle of an exercise session, paused to narrate her story to The PUNCH.
“I studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) over five decades ago. I practised law and worked for the Federal Government. But as I got older, I discovered I had health issues. From when I crossed 50 years of age, I had debilitating arthritis in my knees.
“I did my health check-up in England and my results were not good; my blood sugar level was too high, and everything wrong you can think of was wrong with me and my husband wasn’t happy about it,” Umar said.
The struggle with sickness and the search for a permanent solution went on for years until finally the doctors told her exercise was the way out. At 70, she finally resolved to embrace exercise and true to the recommendations of the doctors, it has worked wonders!
“My doctors said exercising was the solution. One day, my husband stopped at a gym and paid for three months for me; he also got a personal coach and the rest is history,” said the septuagenarian now bubbling with the agility of a middle-aged person.
The transformation and the good that exercise has done her is plain for all to see, as she looked at least a decade younger than her real age.
Narrating her journey into boxing, Umar said, “A year after I began using the gym, I was introduced to boxing by my trainer. I started boxing at 72. My trainer said it was time for me to do other things outside of using the treadmill and I wondered if it was for me but he said it was a form of exercise and I’d be sweating in about three minutes. And so, I’ve been doing that too for about a year. I’ve been in top shape, burning excess fat and staying healthy,” the woman said excitedly, beaming with joy.
Like wife, like husband
Mrs Umar has found a partner in boxing – her husband, a fellow septuagenarian.
Seventy-seven-old Mr Umar, who is also into boxing like his wife, took to exercise for just the same reason as his wife. Exercise became the solution when he began to suffer frequent spells of breathlessness.
“I was quite impressed with the performance of my wife in the gym and so I decided to join her. One time, we travelled to North America and I got interested and that’s also because they have really good gyms there. I’ve been involved in tennis and other sports for years and it keeps me quite healthy. Exercising makes one fit and it helps your physical fitness and develops muscles and things like that,” the septuagenarian said.
Old age and sickenesses
As human advances in age, so do the body system ages and becomes more vulnerable. The immune system declines, paving the way for diseases to plague the body. The World Health Organisation defines old age as the decrease in an individual’s environmental compliance ability. It explains that 75-85 years define advanced old ages and a period where functional losses begin to be observed. The global health body identifies some of the health issues that often come with old age as back and neck pain.
According to the National Council on Aging, a non-profit organisation in the United States of America, over 94% of adults aged 60 and above have a health condition while over 78% have two or more health conditions. They listed hypertension, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and high cholesterol as five out of the top 10 chronic health conditions experienced by persons aged 65 and above.
While aging is a blessing and it comes with health challenges, experts have found that exeercises can help old people to stay in shape and continue to lead a healthy and happy life.
An ex-President’s testimony
The story of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s impressive fitness at 87 is one that lends credence to the benefit of exercise in old age.
On turning 85 in 2022, Obasanjo took to the pitch to participate in a novelty match to mark his birthday. He dazzled the spectators, running around the pitch and kicking the round leather, even finding the net.
When asked the secret behind his agility, the octogenarian listed: “One, diet; two, rest; three, exercise; four, medical examination and attention; and five, social interactions.”
Obasanjo, who had a battle with diabetes, also revealed that he plays squash thrice a week to keep fit and healthy.
He revealed this in March this year during a visit to Abia State to celebrate with Governor Alex Otti, who turned 61.
Speaking to Otti, the octogenarian ex-president said, “This morning, I came in and I met you exercising. A sound mind and a sound body and I say to you, now I know your secret.
“I was glad when you said you do that every other day. It’s just like me playing squash on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I think a leader must keep himself or herself in a healthy condition.”
Also, nonagenarian legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), alluded to exercise as part of the secrets of his health in old age.
“I work very hard. I only leave my work when I want to go and eat or rest. Farming is my favourite exercise. I exercise myself a lot by working and walking on the farm. When you work, you are helping the circulation of blood to different parts of your body,” he said.
More stories of transformation
Countless old people are realising the benefits of exercise to obtain a new lease of life.
An actor and businesswoman, Seunara, said her grandfather does push-ups despite his old age.
According to her, the man does 70 push-ups daily to keep fit and healthy and he is so strong that “when we go out without driving, I can’t keep up with him; he barely gets tired.”
“He is even teaching me how to use this equipment that looks like a bicycle,” Seundara said in a conversation with The PUNCH. “Yesterday, he spent over one hour on it and said he didn’t even get tired. He can do 70 push-ups and he said it used to be 100 before he got involved in an accident that caused him pains in his chest and arms.”
In an interview with our correspondent, a young man, Ope, similarly narrated how exercises halted his 59-year-old mother’s declining health and bounced her back to life.
“Some years ago, there was a time my mother was a regular at hospitals until she was told by her doctors to start exercising and she has been standing strong since then,” Ope said.
According to her, before then the family was puzzled and troubled with his mother’s failing and unstable health.
“Initially, we thought it was because of the menopause stage and they say it comes with all sorts. We did different scans, and X-rays and spent a lot in medical fees before we were told exercising was the solution.
“Now, she goes to the gym three times a week and sometimes goes for a walk, and believe me, it’s helping her stand strong. My parents live together without help and they do their house chores on their own,” Ope said, feeling gratitude.
Healthy old parents, stress-free children
In old age, physical capacity declines and people tend to need more help from children and other family members. An unhealthy old person can be quite a burden. A young man, Gbenga, can therefore not be too grateful to have his 67-year-old father strong and healthy.
He attributed his father’s good health to exercise.
“My dad is still very strong at 67. He’s always walking around and moving here and there. He’s very healthy. I think he even stresses himself due to the nature of his work because he still picks up calls to attend to emergencies at midnight. The only day he doesn’t walk is on Sundays. Every other day, he walks around in his home and attends to people who bring work to him,” he said.
It is a similar story for Ryter Ayeni, a granddaughter to octogenarians.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Ayeni has exercise to thank for the healthy status of her grandparents, thus saving the family burden.
She said, “I have very active grandparents. They still farm in their backyard to date. That’s the form of exercising they do and they’re still healthy, agile, and strong till this day. They don’t necessarily use the gym but they walk around and have remained healthy.”
Why exercises are good in old age
A medical practitioner, Dr. Chika Solomon-Nwaejike, explains that exercising is good for everyone not just the aged and it’s better started when one is younger.
And for the elderly, he says that small estate walks can give the body maximum benefits of exercising.
“Exercising allows for the flow of blood up and down in the body, it also helps to burn fat and keep diseases away from the body.
“Exercise helps give stamina and helps to increase metabolism, it also helps to relieve stress plus it improves sleep,” the doctor said.
According to the doctor, exercise can be a solution to insomnia or sleeplessness, which is often a problem in old age.
“If an elderly person isn’t sleeping well, for example, he or she needs to be more active during the day. They need to walk around and do some exercise,” the doctor said.
Exercise lengthens lifespan – Trainer
The Director of Coaching at Ondo State Sports Council, Ayodeji Salami, who serves as physical trainer for old people, asserted that exercise increases human lifespan.
Salami, who served as personal trainer to the late ex-Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, said, “Ill heath cuts life short but exercising and the grace of God bring about longevity. Someone who would have died at 70, can go on to live up to 90 with the help of exercise.”
Giving an insight into how exercises benefit the body system, the trainer said, “Exercising is wonderful. It allows for cardiovascular efficiency, the older we grow, the weaker our muscles become but exercising allows the aged to withstand stress. It reduces stress as well.
“Old age and hard work cause stress but exercising reduces it. Also, it gives them more energy than their average age mates that don’t exercise.”
Salami identified the best forms of exercise for old people.
“It’s important for old people to get a massager or a physical instructor so that they can know the pace they can go. They don’t need exercises that are too physical, they need a long-term health work plan.
“It also depends on their age and this is why experts are needed and the condition they are that would determine the minutes they’re to exercise and rest before rest,” Salami said.
He added that different exercise regimes are recommended for old people based on their current health status.
“People are different, two men, both aged 75 years would have used their bodies differently and so their cardiovascular system could be different. These two can’t be put through the same exercise plans. This is where an expert comes in.
“It’s important that they also engage in aerobics. For those who don’t have experts or can’t afford them, it’s best to do light exercises.”
On the best exercises for old people, the trainer said, “Power exercises and flexibility exercises are two types of exercises we have in the world.
“Old people don’t need power exercises, they need flexible ones. Stretching, healthy walking, and massaging are the three best forms of exercising old people need.
“The least time of walking to start with is 10 minutes walk daily. It can then go on to 20 minutes or even 30 minutes.
“I have an 80-year-old man I exercise with three times a week and he also joins my aerobics classes. He does fast walk for one hour daily.”
He ended by saying that the way and manner people spend their youth would determine what their old age would be like, emphasing on the need to exercise.
‘Exercise not only for the rich’
Trainers say exercises are not only for the rich. Salami said registration fee at his fitness centre in Akure, the Ondo State capital, is only N5,000 and another N5,000 monthly for subscribers.
“If I am to go as far as Oba Ile or Alagbaka, I’d charge N15,000 monthly. For both packages, my trainees would be trained three times in a week,” he said.
Popular fitness centre, I-fitness gave a breakdown of its pricing template as: Walk-in plan (single location, single day access) – N7,490, Monthly plan (30-day access) – N38,985, Quarterly plan (multi-location, 90-day access) -N98,955, Annual plan (multi-location, 365-day access)- N377,820
“Any of these subscription models include a one-time registration/joining fee for new members that costs 19,890 and an annual maintenance due N17,350 payable every 1st of March,” the centre said.
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