Strength
Being relatively strong is vital to keeping a decent standard of living during later years. We are not talking about being able to lift huge dumbbells or rip a phone book in half! Rather, the focus should be on weight bearing strength - the ability for your legs to comfortably hold the weight of your body against the downward pull of gravity. Increased strength leads to less fatigue after exercise as the body is working less hard to keep you upright. It also helps reduce the risk of falling as your legs become more capable of dealing with your shifting centre of gravity.
Increasing your strength allows you to cope with shifts in your centre of gravity. As you put one foot in front of the other, your body sways slightly from side to side, moving your centre of gravity in a pendulum motion. Putting too much weight on either side suddenly forces your centre of gravity in that direction which causes you to topple over and fall. With stronger legs, the amount you sway as you walk is reduced, as well as your ability to tolerate shifts in your centre of gravity. Having more muscle in your legs even contributes to lowering your centre of gravity (lower is better for balance) as it adds weight to the lower half of your body. Remember, muscle is heavier than fat.
The muscle group most important to leg strength is called the quadriceps. These are the muscles on the front and sides of your thighs. The quadriceps are used to rise from a chair, move the leg up and forward when we walk, and lower ourselves to sit.
It is important to note that more muscle can be gained at any age and with increased muscle mass comes improved strength. Quadriceps strength can be improved simply through walking more. The key to retaining this strength is exercising regularly. At least ten minutes a day of strength focused exercise is recommended for people aged 40 and over, with an extra minute a day being added for each subsequent decade - if you’re in your 50’ you should do 11 minutes a day, if you’re in your 60s then its 12 minutes etc. Whilst strength training is often aided by weights and resistance bands, it is possible to work on your strength just by using the weight of your own body. After all, you are training your legs to cope with your own weight, so why not use that weight in the process.
What puts a lot of people off strength training is the hectic gym environment or the monotony that comes with repeating the same motions over and over again. This is where Virtual Reality can help. By combining a VR headset with a peripheral like the ROVR treadmill, you’re able to get the exercise you need from the comfort of your own home and be entertained in the process. From within the headset you can experience intriguing landscapes that will motivate you to get up and explore. The ROVR allows you to walk around in these rich environments, giving your body the exercise it needs.
VR also provides a low intensity solution for individuals who have lost a lot of their strength. If someone is housebound and is finding it difficult to get around outdoors, they can use the ROVR to gradually regain their strength from within the home. They are able to exercise at their own pace and without the pressure of a public environment. Once they’ve established a good routine with the ROVR and are seeing improvements, the possibility of venturing outdoors reopens. This could allow them to walk the dog or go to the shops, recapturing some of their independence.