HPB produces video of seven easy-to-do exercises that focus on muscle strength and balance.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has produced a 30-minute exercise video titled “7 Easy Exercises to an Active Lifestyle”. These exercises have been developed with the help of physiotherapists to help older adults improve their muscle strength and balance. Before the roll-out, the exercises were trialled by seniors.

This step by HPB is in line with the Government’s announcement of an Action Plan for Successful Ageing where one of the initiatives is a National Seniors’ Health programme to empower seniors with knowledge about key health issues and keep them healthy through a series of preventive health programmes.

Exercise among seniors 50 years and above is important for both function and cognition, and forms a healthy lifestyle for them to age healthily. Results of the National Health Survey 2010 revealed that although one in five seniors exercises regularly, more than half or 62.5 percent do not exercise during their leisure time.

Based on HPB’s guidelines on physical activity for older adults introduced in 2011, seniors should take part in strength and balance exercises at least two days a week, in addition to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Strength exercises help to maintain functional ability, reduce falls and reduce bone and muscle loss associated with ageing, while balance and flexibility exercises help to reduce the risk of falling among seniors. This will help seniors feel more confident moving around independently, and contribute to improved mood and overall well-being.

The seven exercises in the video, choreographed with seniors in mind, consist of movements that are simple and easy to follow, and which can be conveniently done indoors. “The exercises have been tailored to enable ease of adoption where seniors can do the simple steps during their leisure time, without the need of any exercise equipment and in the comfort of their homes,” said Zee Yoong Kang, CEO of HPB. “In this current haze situation, seniors can also do these simple exercises indoors, even while watching TV for example.”

The “7 Easy Exercises to an Active Lifestyle” video, available in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, can be viewed or downloaded from www.healthyageing.sg, a website providing step-by-step guidance on each of the exercises. This will make it easy for seniors and their caregivers to learn and adopt the seven simple exercises at their own pace and time.

 

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