Designed with the specific needs of middle age in mind, 12WBT’s Fit for Fifty program incorporates smart workout techniques to avoid injury and practical steps to prevent health issues common at this time of life.
Fitness expert Daniel Swanbury, who helped create the program, shares the what, why and how…
What Makes Fit for Fifty Different
Fit for Fifty is a program that’s extra special to me. Why? Because I believe that to truly impact the health and quality of life of all Australians in a positive manner, we really need to start thinking about it early. We need to address our health before the issues start piling up: that’s what prevention is all about! I will be personally thrilled with every single person who signs up for this program, as it is one more person who is thinking about their long term health. Not short term gains but lasting, positive change for the rest of their lives!
The Importance of Your Long-Term Health
At this point we usually ask the question that you have in your head for you with a phrase like ‘So what is the Fit for Fifty program?’, but before I jump into that I just want to emphasise the importance of us preparing our bodies for the future.
I know you are probably aware that Australia has an ageing population. You probably know we are facing progressively more lifestyle issues such as obesity and diabetes. You’ve probably heard the facts and figures and think you don’t need me to reiterate them. Well I’m here to say that if you do think that, you are wrong! These issues are FAR too important not to reiterate:
- From 1994 to 2014, the proportion aged over 65 increased from 11.8% to 14.7%.
- Osteoporosis is estimated to affect approximately 6% of Australian men, but more alarmingly this number is 23% for Australian women. That’s 1 in 4.
- Obesity is a major concern as we grow older, with 74.9% of Australians aged 65-74 being either overweight or obese.
- Scarily, it is estimated diabetes also affects approximately 4.2% of the population (up from 1.5% in 1990, that’s more than double!). The good new, most diabetes is Type 2, which is preventable.
This paints a pretty bleak picture of ageing and to think it’s only as much as I could fit in this short blog! There is even more to the story – such as heart disease, dementia and cancer. However, one uniting principle underpins all of these health issues and that is the growing body of research demonstrating the positive impact of physical activity and exercise on all of these conditions. Especially an intelligently designed program that is specific in its approach to an outcome or need.
The Good News: You CAN Improve Your Health Over 50
Now for the great news! This is exactly where Fit for Fifty comes into the picture. Fit for Fifty is a program designed to ensure that all Australians maintain a robust level of health (and maybe even improve it a little) heading into their fifties and I would be even more excited if it meant they did beyond too, through their sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties!
The 12WBT Difference
What’s special about Fit for Fifty though? What makes it different from all the other programs?
There are a few things we know about the process of ageing and these include:
- Our BMR decreases with age – this basically translates to our bodies don’t require as much energy on a day to day basis, contributing to weight gain.
- Bone mass peaks in our twenties – from there, it is a steady decline in bone mass in line with age. This leads to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
- Sarcopenia is a real issue – this is the loss of muscle mass and strength with age.
- Even more alarming is the loss of power, the ability to exert force quickly. This happens at a rate 3-4 times faster than muscle strength and size loss, which has implications for falls.
- Falling is a massive issue as we age, falls are a key morbidity factor (meaning they show likelihood to die earlier). Therefore balance becomes even more important.
Join our 12WBT Fit for Fifty Program today and start making positive changes to your health and fitness that will last!