Ageism: What is it – How it affects our relationship with exercise – How to overcome it

The racism experienced by a person due to his/her age, a phenomenon referred to as “ageism”, contributes decisively, often unconsciously, to the reduction of physical activity as we grow older. Older people are often characterized, among other things as weak and physically incompetent. They are often treated as children because of the reduced expectations we have of them. Thus, the prevailing view is that physical activity is not appropriate for individuals as they grow older. These views are known even from children from an early age, so they grow up with them and adopt them throughout their lives. That is, it becomes a view of something self-fulfilling prophecy. When negative attitudes about adulthood and engaging in physical activity are combined with the growing responsibilities and lifestyle of an adult, physical activity can become a low priority. Increasing work and family responsibilities reduces time for activities such as exercise. Young adult working women with children are at a greater risk because they who may find that they have very little time for themselves. Subsequently, factors such as retirement and the corresponding reduction in financial status hinder physical activity. All of the above contribute to the creation of diminished expectations of ourselves regarding exercise. As a result of the decrease in activity, physical changes are slowly beginning to appear. For example, muscle begin to waste away, fat levels rise and our energy levels fall. So, at some point we feel that we are “getting older”! Stress levels and depression increase and self-esteem decreases. All of these factors further reduce our interest in physical activity. However, all we need to do is change our lifestyle. Although the effects of aging can’t be reversed, the choice to engage in exercise can really change our lives. As we have mentioned many times in the past in our articles, sedentary lifestyle contributes to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, an active lifestyle can improve overall quality of life, muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, joint flexibility and overall life satisfaction. Source: “Human Motor Development” -A Lifespan approach (Greg Payne, Larry Isaacs) Recent Articles