Movement remains the key to healthy ageing despite joint problems and medical issues, 'The Terminator' Arnold Schwarzenegger claims.
The bodybuilder turned actor and politician has become a champion for exercise among those in midlife and beyond those in midlife and beyond.
The Conan the Barbarian actor, who continues a daily regimen of an hour on a bicycle and 45 minutes with weights at age 77, has taken on the role of Chief Movement Officer at medical device company Zimmer Biomet to promote physical activity for older adults.
Speaking at the CNBC CEO Council Summit, Schwarzenegger emphasised that people must overcome their fears about joint problems and surgical procedures.
'If you stop movement, then this is the first step to death'
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Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been known for his fitness and physique
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"Do something," he urged. "It doesn't matter to me if you play tennis, if you go skiing, if you play soccer, or if you lift weights...but do something."
Zimmer Biomet provides "innovations in orthopaedic care" - orthopaedics being the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.
Arnold's role at the company, which he took up last year, focuses on addressing the needs of 600 million people worldwide living in pain from arthritic conditions.
Schwarzenegger's exercise philosophy centres on the belief that stopping movement accelerates decline.
"If you stop movement, then this is the first step to death," he cautioned. "If you rest, you rust."
And the actor is not alone in this school of thought. In the medical profession, one doctor stressed the importance of two essential physical skills, emphasising that learning them could save your life.
And centenarians speak to the benefits of movement, too, with some 100-year-olds crediting their long lifespans to regular exercise.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's daily routine, which includes both cycling and weight training, demonstrates this commitment to movement.
He said: "My business is to make people move. All over the world, to go and to pump them up and to say you can exercise, train every day."
In his speech at the summit, Arnold acknowledged fears around surgical procedures but stressed their necessity, urging others to remove their barriers towards medical technology.
"I see it firsthand in the gym," the chief movement officer said. "People come up to me and say, 'I can't do this lift anymore, my shoulder hurts, and my surgeon doesn’t want to operate anymore, now wants to do shoulder replacement, but I’m afraid of it'.
"I hear all these stories. We have to convince people it is possible to do this. I had my hip replaced. I had valves replaced in my heart... All these people complaining about problems in knees, hips and shoulders, they stop moving."
But modern medical advances mean patients can now "walk out" of hip surgery, unlike his own experience, which required days in the hospital and months of therapy.
Arnold did note that surgery shouldn't be your first resort, though, if physical therapy can be effective.
The fitness guru concluded: "I want to let people know and give them the courage to get those things fixed and continue moving. Don’t let anything get in the way. Exercise, exercise, exercise."
Now, healthy ageing does not have to mean an hour bike ride and 45 minutes with weights every day like Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'll be happy to know.
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Adults aged 65 and over should aim to be physically active every day
GETTY IMAGESThe NHS provides dedicated physical activity guidelines for older adults, including what your aims should be over 65, and what counts as light, moderate, and vigorous activity.
Experts suggest that this demographic should prioritise daily movement, as it can "improve your health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke".
Boosting your strength, balance, and flexibility will also help you develop confidence if you've had a fall or are worried about falling.
Adults aged 65 and over should aim to:
- Be physically active every day, even if it's just light activity
- Do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week
- Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both
- Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
Knowing your limits is crucial, though. The NHS urges over-65s to consult their GP before embarking on an exercise programme if they haven't exercised for a while or have medical conditions/concerns
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