Hello and welcome back to the ThreeSpires Physiotherapy blog where we take a look at all things physiotherapy related. I think anyone reading this blog would have picked up by now that I am very keen on exercise (certainly in my personal life) and the effects of exercise of our patients. So, when I read an article about the effects of strengthening and dietary protein intake on frailty in our professional magazine: Frontline which is published by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss to do some more drum banging on the topic of exercise is good for everyone and especially the elderly.

As physiotherapists working in the community in areas such as Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Rugeley, Cannock and Walsall to name but a few of the places we travel to, we see a large number of frail elderly patients. Frailty in the elderly is a huge problem for the area and the UK in general and it affects 1 in 10 people over the age of 65yrs. When you consider how quickly our population is aging this means that frailty is going to be a bigger and bigger problem. One question that anyone who doesn’t work with the elderly might ask is: what is frailty? Well to be honest it is difficult to define but generally it involves a drop in muscle mass, strength, bone density (increased risk of fractures) and mobility. Falls become a huge problem for these patients and also hip fractures.

So, what did the study/review show: well they pooled 14 studies and found that a combination of strengthening exercises and good levels of dietary protein helped reduce frailty the best. They also recommended that exercise be personalised for each patient’s needs.

Great news if you are a physiotherapist like me who believes that prevention is the best cure and that if everyone did some exercise and tried to stay fit and healthy all their lives, the world would be a better place! I also think it is great news if you are wondering what should you do to stay mobile and fit into later life. The answer seems fairly simple: stay strong, do regular exercise and eat well. If you wish to read in more detail follow this link.

Okay, I hope that you have found this article helpful. If you or anyone you know would like physiotherapy then please feel free to get in touch. We are a home visit physiotherapy service serving Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Rugeley and Walsall.