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

The sub-project "Fit in old age" carried out by the Department of Social Affairs as part of "Zukunftsstadt Bocholt" has now been concluded with a lecture by University Professor Dr Froböse on "Healthy ageing in a healthy community". 150 Bocholt residents took part in the event in the Benölkenplatz canteen.

Three building blocks for health promotion

After Nina Kremer, head of the city's senior citizens division, welcomed those present on behalf of the city of Bocholt and "Zukunftsstadt Bocholt", Richard Förg from the Department of Social Affairs presented the three main components of the "Fit im Alter" initiative, which have been developed and implemented over the past few years.

The first component is a so-called Everyday Training Programme (ATP), carried out in Bocholt's city centre. To this end, eleven trainers were trained as qualified ATP trainers.

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

Finally, in the third module, presented by Andrea Unland from the "Leben im Alter" association, volunteer health counsellors were trained, who now provide advice and support to many older Bocholters. According to Unland, the demand for this is currently even exceeding capacity.

The "Zukunftsstadt Bocholt 2030+" project, which has been strengthening health and exercise promotion for young and old in Bocholt in particular since 2015, will expire at the end of the year. The knowledge gained through the programmes and training courses will be shared with the outside world after the end of the project and provides a good basis for further health promotion in Bocholt, according to those responsible.

"Ferrari outside, Trabi inside!"

The highlight of the event was the lecture by Prof Dr Ingo Froböse, a sports and health scientist who is well-known throughout Germany. The expert presented a wealth of scientific findings in an entertaining and humorous manner. He commented with a wink on the trend towards more and more cosmetic surgery in old age: "Ferrari on the outside, Trabi on the inside?" - but it is also important to work on a Ferrari on the inside through exercise".

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

Froböse emphasised the importance of intermittent fasting - even during the course of the day, as the body can use these times to break down energy. The answer to a question about his statement in the lecture that eating early is good for your health made the audience smile again: "Nobody needs to set their alarm clock at four o'clock to have breakfast - it's about eating early in the evening."

The Cologne expert emphasised how important it is to view ageing less negatively, including in the media and politics. After all, people age as soon as they are born and, thanks to continuous cell division, a large part of their capacity is retained into old age, as well as the experience and accumulated knowledge of older people. This would be reason enough for each individual, but also for society as a whole, to take a positive view of ageing."