A summary of our muscling Up against disability project findings

Description

 

PREVENTIVE health has often been flavour of the month when it comes to wellbeing. It just makes sense.

 

If we can spend some dollars upfront to head off dealing with poor quality of life, illness and sickness then there’s no reason not to do so – unless you happen to be the most blinkered fiscal conservative who can’t see the sense in spending any money at any time.

 

We now have a proven experiment that shines a light on the way to save some money, make people more healthy and instil good habits generally through the community.

 

A Brisbane-based exercise program that gave older Australians an opportunity to take part in a 24-stage exercise and strength-building experience produced quick and quantifiable results. According to the results already seen, participants watched their upper and lower body strength double.

 

This preliminary study, costing just $1.4 million, should be extended to all Australians aged more than 65. You’d have to say it’s well worth trying, especially if we want to reduce later life instances of disability and illness as well as promoting independent living.

 

After all, a conservative estimate of the total cost of chronic diseases in Australia is about $33 billion every three months.

 

Sadly, the biggest barriers in our community to understanding the challenges from chronic disease are a “she’ll be right attitude” and a lack of understanding and knowledge.