As of: March 2, 2024, 5:17 a.m
By: Andreas Beez
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Anyone who exercises regularly significantly increases their chances of growing older healthily.
Controlled strength training also helps against high blood pressure, advises university chief physician Prof. Martin Halle.
The drug Sport works at all ages
Professor Martin Halle, sports cardiologist and preventive medicine specialist
Cycling not only trains the muscles, but also the blood vessels, says Prof. Martin Halle.
© Photo: TUM
There is an encouraging insight that Martin Halle consciously repeats often: “You are never too old to train.
Even very sick people can benefit enormously from exercise,” emphasizes the scientist.
The positive aspects emerged in a large study led by the Technical University of Munich with dialysis patients.
But regular training also pays off for seniors with health problems when it comes to blood pressure.
“The drug sport works at all ages,” says Halle.
“You can only encourage older people to exercise regularly.
They improve their blood pressure values, strengthen their heart and circulation and slow down the breakdown of their muscles.”
Special bestform exercise program from the TU Munich for seniors
Many seniors in facilities in and around Munich set a good example.
You take part in the bestform program - a special exercise program that sports scientists at the Technical University of Munich developed with the support of the Beisheim Foundation.
The effects, which are currently being evaluated in one of the largest studies of its kind in the world (
tz
reported), are eagerly awaited.
The international journal “Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports” has just reported extensively on the Munich pilot project.
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Professor Martin Halle: Strength training with low weights and several breaks makes sense
Exercise has a measurable effect on blood pressure in seniors even when medications no longer work - especially regular endurance training.
The rule of thumb is: the higher the initial blood pressure, the more the reading falls.
But strength training also pays off.
“However, it should be dosed and controlled,” says sports cardiologist Halle.
Too much strain during strength training can lead to blood pressure spikes, which must be absolutely avoided, especially in patients with high-grade hypertension.
Halle: “Here it is recommended to either use low weights with ten to 15 repetitions or to choose higher weights with three to four repetitions.
You should always take breaks of at least a minute in between.”
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While it is known that high blood pressure and its consequences cause many strokes and heart attacks, a connection with the development of dementia is also receiving more and more attention in science.
“Increased blood pressure puts stress on the cerebral vessels.
This can also lead to vascular dementia,” explains Halle.
If blood pressure doesn't go down at night, this can be a warning sign
The big problem: Many people don't even know that they suffer from high blood pressure.
A warning sign can also be that you often feel unrested and exhausted in the morning.
“This can also be an indication of increased blood pressure at night.
Normally, when lying down at night, blood pressure is about 20 mmHg lower than during the day.
If this night-time reduction does not occur, the important recovery effect over the night will no longer occur,” explains Halle.
The result: You feel quite tired mentally and physically, you can't concentrate very well, you're sometimes nervous and easily irritable.
You are never too old to train.
Even very sick people can benefit enormously from exercise.
Professor Martin Hall