Fit in old age: "Ferrari on the outside, Trabi on the inside?"

The "Fit in old age" sub-project carried out by the Social Welfare Department as part of the "Future City of Bocholt" has now been concluded with a lecture by University Professor Dr. Froböse on the subject of "Healthy aging in a healthy community". The event, which was held in the Mensa Benölkenplatz, was attended by 150 Bocholt residents.

Three building blocks for health promotion

After Nina Kremer, head of the city's senior citizens department, welcomed those present on behalf of the city of Bocholt and "Zukunftsstadt Bocholt", Richard Förg from the social services department presented the three main components of the "Fit in old age" initiative that have been developed and implemented in recent years.

The first component is a so-called Everyday Exercise Program (ATP), carried out in the city center of Bocholt. To this end, eleven exercise instructors were trained as qualified ATP trainers.

The second component is a comprehensive fitness check-up program with a re-test and training program for 50 people. Förg emphasized that many people with a migration background have also been reached through the outreach work in the neighborhood.

In the third module, presented by Andrea Unland from the "Leben im Alter" association, voluntary health guides were trained, who now provide advice and support to many older people in Bocholt. According to Unland, demand for these services currently exceeds capacity.

The "Future City Bocholt 2030+" project, which has been strengthening health and exercise promotion for young and old in Bocholt in particular since 2015, will come to an end at the end of the year. The knowledge gained through the programs and training courses carried out will be disseminated externally after the end of the project and will provide a good basis for further health promotion in Bocholt, according to those responsible.

"Ferrari on the outside, Trabi on the inside!"

The highlight of the event was the lecture by Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse, a sports and health scientist known throughout Germany. In an entertaining and humorous way, the expert presented a lot of scientific findings. On the development of more and more cosmetic operations in old age, he said with a wink: "Ferrari on the outside, Trabi on the inside? - and that it is important to "also work on the inside of a Ferrari" through exercise.

With interesting facts about increasing life expectancy, the loss of years of life through individual behavior such as smoking or stressful life circumstances (e.g. unemployment, divorce) and interesting facts about the right nutritional rhythm, Froböse captivated the audience.

Froböse confirmed thereby the meaning of the interval chamfering - also in the course of the day, because the body can use these times for the energy dismantling. The answer to a question to its statement made in the lecture, which early meal is health-promoting, brought the public again to the amused smiling: Nobody needs to set itself at four o'clock the alarm clock, in order to have breakfast - it concerns early evening meal.

The Cologne expert pointed out how important it is to view aging less negatively, including in the media and politics. After all, people age immediately after birth, and a large part of their performance capacity is retained into old age through continuous cell division. This would be "reason enough for every individual, but also for society as a whole, to take a positive view of aging."