About the Guest(s):

Dr. John Best is a specialist sports and exercise medicine physician at the Orthosports Group in Sydney. He previously served as the team doctor for the Wallabies, Australia’s national rugby union team, for ten years, overseeing medical support for high-profile rugby union matches. Dr. Best is currently involved with the NRL's Medical Advisory Panel and is a medical consultant for the Australian Professional Golfers Association. He is known for his extensive contribution across various sports and his public health advocacy for active, balanced aging.

Key Takeaways:

• Sarcopenia Awareness: From age 20, women are more prone than men to lose muscle mass, which affects balance and strength.
• Effective Exercise Types: Incorporating strength training, balance exercises, and cardiovascular workouts are key for women over 40 to maintain vitality.
• Importance of the Core: Activities like Pilates can help strengthen the core, which is essential for overall physical stability and injury prevention.
• Lifestyle Balance: Striking a balance between physical, mental health, and social communication can significantly enhance quality of life as women age.
• Role of Nutrition: Minimizing high-sugar, processed foods and ensuring sufficient protein intake, potentially from plant and meat sources, is vital.

Notable Quotes:

• "Making sure your sleep is good, ideally, ideally seven to nine hours for a female." — Dr. John Best
• "Minimizing ultra-processed foods and, in particular, excessive sugars." — Dr. John Best
• "Your risk of falling is quite high… your risk of bone thinning and muscle weakness adds to that." — Dr. John Best
• "There is an overlap between conditions like muscle weakness and frailty which increases the risk of falling." — Dr. John Best
• "The fitter you are as you go through your older years, the more likely you are to die through a sudden death rather than a chronic illness." — Dr. John Best

Resources:

• Orthosports Group Sydney

She Wasn’t Born Yesterday, hosted by Janet Evans, a senior advertising creative and Jenni Woodhouse a semi retired social worker

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