Everyone gets old eventually, but there are ways for people to slow down the aging process without sacrificing their health and their ability to still enjoy life even during late adulthood, said presidential candidate Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson and senatorial aspirant Dr. Minguita Padilla.
The two candidates briefly deviated from discussing serious social and political issues to talk about personal health and wellness in a town hall meeting held at the ALDP Montevista covered court during their visit to Naga City, Camarines Sur last Friday.
One of the forum participants, an elderly woman, took the opportunity to ask the 62-year-old Dr. Padilla—a medical professional and public health advocate—how she could avoid getting afflicted with arthritis because she was already beginning to feel some pain in her knees.
Padilla explained there are different types of arthritis, which is one of the most common illnesses that a person can develop between early middle age to late adulthood.
Symptoms include muscle weakness, limited mobility, stiffness, body pain and inflammation of the joints.
According to medical literature, two of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis or “rayuma” in Tagalog. Padilla said the latter can be treated through regular exercises, increased water intake, and different types of therapies.
“Here are some tips to avoid it (arthritis). One is, for the women, to refrain from wearing high heels after a certain age.
Number two, let’s exercise, walk around. That’s the best way really to prevent feeling some pain in the,” she said.
“Because it is more difficult if we are always sitting. Because they (our knees) would start feeling like machines that have not been greased. Okay? So, let us avoid being too sedentary. Let us move around, keep moving, avoid living a sedentary lifestyle,” she added.
The senatorial aspirant added that one of the fun ways to keep our bodies moving is through dancing. She likewise mentioned it would also help if people would be more conscious about what they eat and what they drink as they Lacson, in many interviews, attributed his good physical and mental health to his active ,lifestyle as well as keeping a positive outlook in life. He mentioned that he regularly undergoes a wellness exam as a way to prevent health problems.
“You know, I go to a wellness exam every year. It just stopped when the pandemic happened. You know what the executive director of the wellness clinic told me when he saw the findings? Because I went through the treadmill, everything, all kinds of tests. He told me ‘Amazing.”
“My body age, according to the doctor, is 51 years old. So, just like that, even if you turn 70 years old but your body still keeps up, your mind can still keep up—a 40-year-old brain, 45-year-old brain, 50-year-old brain—you would not be discriminated against,” he said.
The presidential candidate was responding to a question about the availability of social pension for senior citizens, which he also turned into a discussion about aging. He reiterated that under his presidency, he will enforce a policy against all kinds of discrimination, especially age discrimination.
