Sport even with 90 Stay fit and healthy until old age

As you get older, you become sluggish and your muscles become weak. Not only sports scientists and health experts say that this is not true, but also give examples: Even some 90-year-olds are still high-performance athletes.
Quarter hour of sports a day
As you grow older you do not necessarily have to become lethargic. Most health professionals recommend regular exercise to stay young into old age ("Stay Young Up to Old Age: With Muscle Strength"). According to the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (DGSP), you keep fit when you move moderately 150 minutes per week and actively do sports for 15 minutes per day. Through small ways in everyday life, the overweight risk, the fall rate and the decrease in muscle mass can be reduced. Furthermore, endurance, light weight training and coordination units help to stay fit in old age.

Stay fit in old age. Picture: emilijamanevska - fotolia

Even seniors can start with a new sport
The menu also plays an important role. As the energy requirement decreases with age, a balanced, wholefood diet with fruits, vegetables, lettuce and unsaturated fatty acids is optimal for physical fitness. On the other hand, constant sitting should be avoided: "This can lead to an inactive lifestyle and be a risk factor," explained Anne Engel from the DGSP in a message from the dpa news agency. "Age is no obstacle to learning new sports," said Christine Sowinski of the Board of Trustees Deutscher Altershilfe. Those who have already done sports benefit from it in old age, because sports are buried deep in "muscular memory". Experts often suggest that seniors should try many sports to find the one that suits them.

In the gym or in the group
Today, more and more seniors are going to the fitness center. Some offer courses specifically for older students. If possible, try different ones to find out which gym is right for you. Sport in the group can also make exercise more attractive. In many clubs there are offers especially for seniors. In addition to the training, other joint activities are often organized there. For those who do not feel fit enough for a sports course, Sowinsk recommends sticking to small milestones: "A park or forest in the area can be used for long walks," says the expert.

High performance sport with over 90 years
That there is no age limit for sporting activity is shown by two examples dpa reports elsewhere: Ingeborg Fritze (94) from Dusseldorf and Gerhard Windolf (91) from Hamburg are still top athletes despite their advanced age. Although Fritze actually wanted to stop at the age of 95 with competitive sports. "But now it's nearly time - and I do not want to!", Said the swimmer to the German Press Agency. The 94-year-old has won numerous German championships and European titles in swimming and set world records. "I'm simply connected to the water," said the Dusseldorf woman. The 91-year-old Windolf, who took part in the Senior World Athletics Championships in Lyon in 2015, has been doing sports for 82 years. He goes to the gym twice a week, three times to the sports field. According to him, a life with competitive sports clear the head and ensure the perfect balance. "I went to the doctor for the first time ten years ago," said the hamburger. (Ad)