The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought the world to a standstill with global responses being implemented to stop it from further spreading.
In the Philippines, communities in Luzon, including the National Capital Region (NCR), remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), while some other areas are under the General Community Quarantine, encouraging people to stay at home, except when buying essentials like food and medicine, to ensure their safety.
Staying at home, however, does not guarantee that people maintain physical health, especially that it might encourage people to be idle.
Seniors are prone to these health risks since aging can limit their movements and prevent them from engaging in physical activities. It is also the same for people with underlying chronic illnesses who need regular appointments with their doctors and medical experts.
According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 95 percent of deaths due to COVID-19 in the European Region are from people aged 60 years and above, while 50 percent are people aged 80 years and older. They also said that 8 out of 10 deaths are people with underlying chronic illnesses.
The WHO also said that despite staying home, it is important that people maintain physical activity and proper nutrition to stay healthy.
Sante Fitness Labs (SFL), a premier one-stop fitness center that offers holistic training programs, provides an online physical therapy consultation and an online nutrition consultation for the elderly amid the current health crisis.
Importance of PT and Nutrition
Physical therapy (PT) plays a vital role for seniors by helping them recover from potentially debilitating conditions and also as a priceless preventive measurement that encourages independent living for as long as possible.
It also encourages “Healthy Aging” among people, who are approaching their senior years and are starting to experience limitations in functionality due to age or post-injury. PT can also help avoid these five instances where seniors can also become prone to that can potentially endanger their lives:
- Falls – Aging or post-recovery from injuries/illnesses become prone to imbalances that lead to falling which can injure or re-injure them.
- Reduced Long-Term Strength And Endurance – PT can influence the body’s strength and endurance level, however, if the level is low, it can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate, and decreased oxygen saturation levels which can lead to strokes and heart attacks
- Reduced Confidence – Doing PT teaches its patients more efficient ways of completing daily activities, which can help improve both physical and mental health and quality of life.
- Increased Pain – Decreased movement or no movements at all can lead to stiff joints, which people are prone to during the current quarantine. Decreased mobility leads to more pain.
- Infections – Without active movement and the prevention that could have been offered by PT, there can be an increased risk for pneumonia, which is one of the main effects of COVID-19, and an increased potential of developing skin problems like ulcers.
Combining PT with proper nutritional advice can also improve preventive measures to specific existing chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, allergies, diabetes, and pre-diabetic conditions, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac disease, and Obesity.
Champion Fitness Solutions
SFL is living up to its tagline, “Home of Champions” as they continue to encourage people to live a healthy active lifestyle. Through their online fitness, PT and Nutritional consultations, they can help people begin or continue their healthy lifestyles even in quarantine.
Through SFL’s distinct programming system where baseline assessment and progress monitoring are critical and scientific principles and methods are applied by coaches, you can be assured that you can achieve your goals safely and effectively as everything is well thought of and planned for, whether it’s for jumpstarting your fitness, weight loss, recovering from an injury or training for your sports.
SFL is a top notch fitness center that offers holistic training programs, as well as innovative recovery and sports rehabilitation. They are at par with the country’s premium fitness brands with its complete top of the line equipment for cardio, strength, speed, and agility. But unlike other gyms, the difference is in their expert programming and coaching.