In the MRC-ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research (CMAR) we all know the benefits of keeping active as we age, and on Sunday 27th of September 2015, we had the opportunity to play a major role in the filming of a new series of programs about healthy ageing which will go out across the airwaves in the UK in the near future. Star of the show and CMAR director, Professor Janet Lord had the pleasure of working alongside TV presenter Angela Rippon in Cannon Hill Park and a group of our local enthusiastic volunteers which included some of our Birmingham 1000 Elders cohort.
After a warm-up delivered by Julie Robinson of Move it Or Lose it the volunteers were asked to perform a simple ‘sitting-rising test’.
Encouraged throughout by Angela Rippon and scored by Janet each person started with a total of 10 points. Points were then deducted for wobbles, loss of balance, and placing of hands or knees on the ground during the execution of the test, which is designed to be a simple, no-frills measure of flexibility and strength and also a predictor of 6-year mortality (luckily nobody got a truly worrying score!).
Based on the results of this test a subset of the willing volunteers were selected to take part in a 10-week physical activity/training program designed for older adults and delivered by none other than Move it or Lose it director, Julie Robinson. All recruits will be tested again at the end of the program to see how they have improved their scores – we can’t wait to see the results!
Find out how they got on by tuning into BBC1, the program called ‘How to Stay Young’ is scheduled to air in Spring 2016