We celebrated as Captain Tom raised millions for the NHS and the nation showed its thanks by clapping every week for our NHS heroes. We all want to show our gratitude and appreciation for the amazing people who are saving lives every day. Now you can do something to help the NHS that doesn’t cost a penny and only takes 30 seconds!
The simple sit to stand exercise not only helps to keep us strong, it can also help to keep us out of hospital. Here’s why.
As we age we lose muscle mass and strength by 2% each year so by the time we’re 80 we can have lost half our muscle mass. Strong muscles allow us to stand from a chair, walk and even use the toilet without giving it a second thought. These activities and others that we do every day are called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and if we lose our muscle strength and the ability to complete ADLs, we can also lose our independence. This means we become more sedentary as others do things for us, becoming frail and vulnerable to illness or having a fall, which requires medical intervention from the NHS.
We have stayed home for months and even as lockdown eases, many of us lack the confidence to get out and about. This means that it’s even more important for us to be active and avoid de-conditioning which can lead all sorts of problems and increase our risk of needing to go to hospital. Research has shown that reducing the number of steps taken per day to less than 1,500 for two weeks can result in almost 4% loss in muscle in 66-75 year olds. This could be even greater in older age groups. For those of us that can’t or don't want to leave the house, it’s vital we find other ways to keep active and combat muscle loss. If not, the NHS and social care sector could become overwhelmed by people losing their muscle and their independence.
"Doing this simple exercise every day can help us to stay strong and keep us out of hospital, so let's all stand up and save the NHS".
"In these times of lockdown it's all too easy to spend the day watching TV and comfort eating, but the more time we spend being sedentary the worse this is for our health. By doing the simple sit to stand test every day you will ensure that you don't lose muscle and will also help your immune system"
Tessa Sanderson
“I’m delighted to be an ambassador for Move it or Lose it supporting their #StandUpForNHS campaign. It’s so important to keep mobile at all ages, safely and to have some fun too. They’ve done some terrific work across the country and this becomes even more important at a time when so many people are staying at home.”
Michael McKell
"Hi my name is Michael McKell, I just want to let you know how you can stand up to the NHS. Exercise. Stay fit, and going for that extra walk, doing that little bit more in the garden. Keeping fit, will boost your immune system. So it's your way of standing up for the NHS. So, be active, keep your routine, stay fit, stay safe."
Sally Dynevor
Scott Hastings
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