VigorUS Fitness Focus for 2023
For the first time in a long time, I felt the desire to want to write a blog. It might be because I appointed someone last night to keep me accountable for this task. I have tried to be as objective as I can in my writing career as a blogger and an academic writer but I think there is a need for a shift. This style of writing has kept me outside of my own business. I want to be connected with my audience and potential clients.
I've been thinking a lot about VigorUS Fitness Shop, as sexy as she is, she struggled to find her target audience. In the time past, I wrote blogs for all groups of people from younger adults to older adults including mothers. Inclusion and equity are very important to me. While keeping that in mind, I would like to inform you that VigorUS Fitness Shop has decided to focus on people aged 40 to 90 years old. I appreciate others who have been following along in my business journey.
Why did I decide to work with older adults?
I love older people. They are just amazing and I have always connected with them. I lived with my grandmother for about 6 years and I have also helped my mother look after her ageing clients. There are a lot of misconceptions about ageing and I want to help change the narrative. These biases have sipped into how health policies are being made. What if older adults were not viewed as weak or fragile? What if ageing is associated with wisdom instead of dying, how would that type of mindset impact our society? I think there is value in being old. Old age is a blessing and it comes with a lot of experience.
Our beliefs on ageing affect policymaking. There is evidence today in the health care system that proves that ageing increases health care expenditure (Wister, 198) because of the increased cost of continuing care. In Getzen’s study to investigate the relationship between the increase in the share of older people and per capita healthcare expenditure (HCE), he found that ageing could have increased the demand for healthcare if the health sector did not have a budgetary restraint. Zweifel P. and his colleagues (1999) argued otherwise. They performed a study to prove the relationship between age and HCE by analyzing individual HCE records. The data revealed that age does not affect HCE provided the individual was over the age of 65+. One of their USA records for people who died in 1988, revealed people who died that year had to pay 29.1% of the total cost of medicare payments. After comparing the data to those of the survivors, it revealed that those who died that year had to pay 7.1 times more than the survivors. This new development proves that there is no relationship between age and HCE.
Why am I sharing this data?
It is important because it highlights the growing biases among researchers and political players who determine how resources are being allocated. This means more budget cuts and out-of-pocket payments.
The role of fitness in this story
Fitness helps build resiliency. The older population must live long enough to share their lived experiences, and pearls of wisdom and help mentor younger adults. Also, the environment has proven to not be conducive for them. Like Danielle Town, in her book Invested, said to put your money where your mouth is. So yes, my goal is to learn as much as I can in this area to help fuel the progress and longevity of the older population.
What motivates me?
Change. I want to see a world where everyone is given an equal opportunity. It is time to give the spotlight to your grandparents and great-grandparents. They possess the wisdom we so yearn for. May they live long.
Happy Valentine,
Love,
Ayoku
Reference:
Chapter 7 (Health Status and Health-Care Transitions in an Aging Context) in Wister AV (2019). Aging as a social process: Canada and beyond. 7th ed, Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Zweifel P, Felder S, Meiers M (1999). Ageing of population and health care expenditure: a red herring? Health Econ, 8(6), 485-96.