News

With the latest census figures showing the number of older people reaching a record high, it’s critical that the health and fitness sector starts to engage with older adults to encourage active ageing.

The latest census data for England and Wales shows that our population continues to age. Figures from the Office for National Statistics report that 11.1 million people – that’s almost one in five – are aged 65 and over, a 16 per cent increase from 2011.

This ageing trend is set to continue. Indeed, according to government figures, more than half of adults in the UK are expected to be aged 50 or over by 2035 and those aged 85 and over is projected to double by 2050.

Living longer is to be celebrated, but the reality behind these figures is that too many people are spending more of their later years in ill-health, suffering a number of long-term conditions, which has a marked impact on their quality of life.

An ageing society also has serious implications for our public services, especially health and social care, which are already under immense pressure. If there was ever a time to encourage active ageing, it is now.

Healthy ageing

The five elements of healthy ageing - aerobic fitness, muscular strength, balance, flexibility and social wellbeing - are key to maintaining physical and mental health in later life and our range of power-assisted equipment addresses all of them.

A study by Oklahoma State University of Innerva users aged 70 and above showed dramatic gains over 12 weeks with participants benefiting from improvements in muscle strength of between 24% and 50%, increases in mobility and agility of 22% and improvements in balance of 33%.

By improving their strength, cardiovascular health and flexibility, older adults can combat the natural ageing process, reduce their risk of falls and loss of capacity to enjoy independence for longer – surely something we all want in later life.

But let’s not forget the importance of social connection. Loneliness is major issue in our society, particularly among older adults. According to Age UK, 1.4 million older people in the UK are often lonely, which has a dramatic impact on their wellbeing and quality of life.

By its very nature, the Innerva circuit encourages social interaction allowing users to take part in safe activity with like-minded individuals in a positive and supportive environment. It’s very common for users to enjoy a coffee and a chat after an exercise session and others even arrange day trips together.

There are approximately 70 Innerva equipped studios across the UK, the majority of which are located in leisure centres. These specialist sites allow operators to attract a demographic that wouldn’t otherwise engage in their offering. With an increasingly elderly population, more leisure operators must enhance their facilities with accessible equipment to support the older adults in their communities to be physically active.

Failing to act and invest in active ageing is simply storing up problems for the future, putting even greater pressure on our public services and preventing millions of older people from enjoying their extended years.