Concerns about the health of elderly people due to self-restraint going out New Coronavirus April 3 5:25

As the spread of the new coronavirus spreads, people are more likely to stay out of their homes, especially in the elderly. You.

Hideko Takayama (76), who lives alone in Tokyo, has been going to a fitness club for 15 years and has been exercising about four days a week to improve her diabetes and maintain her health.

However, the fitness club was considered to have a high risk of infection due to the new coronavirus, and after consulting with others, we had to close.

I spend most of my time at home.

I do simple stretching and walk around the neighborhood while watching TV, but I'm worried about the progression of diabetes and my physical weakness due to my lack of exercise.

In addition, local events and cherry blossom viewing with close friends have been canceled, and conversations with other people have hardly been enjoyed.

I communicate with my daughter who lives away and friends I can't meet on LINE and encourage each other.

Takayama says, “I am worried about the impact of my daily exercise and my diabetes value is going down, so I am worried that my muscles may be weakened. Go to a fitness club and meet friends and talk about everything. I was completely cut off, so if I think that this situation will continue, I want to return to my original life as soon as possible. "

Experts: risk of new diseases

According to Fukuya Kuno, a graduate of the University of Tsukuba, who specializes in health policy, "If you lose muscle mass due to lack of exercise, the elderly may weaken and fall or break easily, and may become bedridden. If a person with a chronic illness does not exercise, the risk of developing a new disease increases, and it is important to consider not only preventing infection with the virus but also reducing such “secondary health damage”. ” I am.

As a specific measure, we encourage people to move around consciously by walking around their homes and doing simple gymnastics in the park, avoiding crowds.

In addition, he said that the risk of dementia would increase if an elderly person living alone stayed at home and did not talk to anyone, saying, "I want you to communicate as much as possible, such as contacting your family by phone." Was.

A fitness club that strengthens measures and resumes business

The fitness club "Carbs", which accounts for about 70% of the 860,000 members of the country, of which more than 60s accounted for about 70%, had temporarily stopped operating due to the new coronavirus, but now measures such as ventilation and disinfection of exercise equipment We are strengthening and resuming business.

On the other hand, people aged 80 years and older who are particularly at high risk of becoming seriously ill when infected with the virus, and those who have a medical condition such as diabetes or myocardial infarction, are still responding as a "break."

In the fitness club, the instructor calls and listens to the situation of the living so that the elderly who are absent tend to stay at home and lose physical strength, lose communication with the surroundings and feel depressed It is that we are promoting such an approach.

According to a fitness club representative, Sekiguchi Katsura, "I'm worried about the effects on health if elderly people stay in the house and cannot talk to anyone. I'd like to get them back and help them get back to work. "