Old Lad

Arriving in your seventies has been described as snipers alley. You can be congratulated in having dodged the illnesses that are fatal and if you are extra lucky have also dodged the disabling chronic diseases. A comforting statistic is that the average expected lifespan of a healthy male at 70 is 20 years. But this then opens up the unsettling vista of what it might be like to be 80 or 90!

I have been in relatively good health apart from mild high blood pressure and being a bit overweight with a BMI of 28 that keeps me out of the Obese bracket. However in the last 9 months there has been a distinct increase in aches and pains particularly affecting my back and hip joints. And moving around has been slower. So I decided to seek a consultation about it. To cut a long story short after navigating the labyrinth which is obtaining a GP consultation I eventually ended up seeing a physiotherapist (Now known as a Musculo-skeletal Practitioner!) and had some X rays. The X rays were comforting in that I don’t need new hips but there were signs of degenerative changes. Its a wonderful term degenerative changes isn’t it signifying the onset of decrepitude. I know that the only “treatment” is exercise and pain killers when it is very bad. The Physio (MSKP) was sympathetic but added to the gloom by reminding me I was getting older and may have to modify my activities!

So I looked for expert advice and turned to Sir Muir Gray who was a respected senior doctor who among other things was the founding director of the National Screening Programmes and is now Director of the Optimal Ageing Programme and is leading a national plan for Living Longer Better. (No I hadn’t heard of it either!) Anyway he has written a wonderful book called “Sod 70”,which he describes as a guide to living well in your seventies, eighties and nineties.. Muir Gray’s thesis is that the decline people experience with old age is largely due to what he calls the Fitness Gap. This involves sorting out obvious problems like vision loss, hearing deficiency and taking advantage of the vaccination programmes offered to older people, as well as losing a bit of weight and eating healthy food. As far as physical fitness is concerned it involves the “4S Fitness programme” – improving Stamina, Strength, Skill (balance) and Suppleness. Joy of Joys there is no jogging or going to the Gym involved! The book sets out lots of practical advice and the time commitment is Twofold. Firstly a doable 10minutes a day focussing on strength, suppleness and stamina. Secondly at least five longer sessions of brisk walking for about 30 minutes. Many of the exercises can be done while you do other things so Muir Gray gives tips like doing bends and stretches in the kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil, or standing on tiptoes while cleaning your teeth.

So this book has now become my bible. I have a dog so the walking is not a problem although the dog tends to dawdle as it sniffs its way in the world so I need a few walks without the dog. I have actually loaded a step counting App onto my phone so its serious! I’m told that the late Prince Philip followed the 4S programme so it seems to work. And I quite like the idea of shouting Sod 70 when I stiffly get in and out of the car! I’ll let you know how I get on.