By Christine de Kock
OLDER people were urged to eat calcium-rich food and participate in exercise as part of National Healthy Bones Week, 6-12 August.
But Western Region Health Centre physiotherapist Verity Speed said the prevention and management of osteoporosis was an important message to spread across all age groups.
“Exercise is important as it improves bone density,” she said.
“We have exercise classes, strengthening classes that target people who might be at risk of chronic illnesses such as osteoporosis, arthritis or diabetes.
“For people who attend our group exercise classes we have the weight exchange program.
“What happens is people pay a fee of $20 and get a set of weights.
“They can exchange that set of weights for the next size up when they are ready – the idea with strength training is to be progressive.”
Ms Speed said more than 600 people attended the exercise groups held in Braybrook, Footscray and other parts of the West over a year.
She said exercise classes could accommodate people from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
“We provide interpreters who might attend one or two classes,” she said.
“We don’t often use interpreters, but if they are needed the interpreters explain what the class is about and demonstrate the safe rules of exercise.”
Western Region Health Centre also provides an exercise class specifically for members of the Vietnamese community.
