The last 6 months have effected people differently. For example, some people have found it to be a good opportunity to increase their time exercising. They were not running around and had time to focus on their health. This is probably particularly true for those who stayed connected to services on line or, who have a good understanding of the impact of not exercising and have the confidence to keep going.
On the other hand we have people who, for a variety of reasons, don’t engage with the internet and they also may not be as aware of the impact of increasing sedentary behaviour. There are also those who may be afraid to go outside their front door. This increases sedentary behaviour - gone is the walk around the supermarket, the stairs at the shopping centre or even the walking form car parks to destinations. For this second group of people, lack of physical activity and exercise has a variety of negative effects.
The bones are not being loaded as they should and bone density responds positively to bones being loaded. Muscles are not being used a whole lot and so they can get quite laid back - becoming weaker because they think they are not needed. Weaker muscles can increase the risk of falls, fear of falls and decreased ability to do day to day tasks. This can lead to further sedentary behaviour and the cycle keeps going.
Decreasing physical activity and decreased conditioning have other unwanted effects, general diminishing of health and even progression to frailty. This poorer health state can impact on recovery if a bone is broken or if surgery is needed to fix a broken arm or hip. Unfortunately because of the duration of the COVID 19 crisis, decreasing physical activity and decreased volume of exercise has really set in. The prolonged time has been enough to cause significant impact on bones, muscles and may other systems in the body.
The good news is that older people respond to exercise the same way as 20 year olds! Deconditioning and even fragility can be reversible. People can get back to their weight bearing exercise, to bone and muscle building and can improve balance and coordination. If you are out of action for the last couple of months it is recommended that you return to activity slowly and gradually but progressively. This is the best way to minimise the risk of injury and ensure that you are improving. If you are not sure where to start, then just do something you are safe and secure doing - anything is better than nothing!