Sen. Eze Ajoku, President, Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) on Saturday urged older persons to always exercise their bodies saying it is therapeutic for diabetes.
Ajoku said this on Saturday during a hang out of the COSROPIN, an NGO, with older persons in Kasa Area of Apo, in Abuja.
He said that exercise was therapeutic intervention for diabetic older persons and even younger persons.
The coalition president, who reiterated the imperatives of exercise, said that diabetes was not a death sentence.
“Diabetes is a lifelong thing and it is because your body is not able to produce enough insulin to deal with the sugar content in the body”, he said.
He urged elders to always check their diabetic status.
“The next thing you need to do is to exercise your body or be active so that your body can use up the sugar in you.
“But you must always see a doctor who will prescribe either tablets for you or insulin injection depending on the advice of the doctor,” he said.
Ajoku advised diabetic patients to be consistent in taking their medications.
“Never you stop your medication at any point in time though you will feel relieved at a time, continue to take your medication.
“Even if someone tells you that you do not have diabetes again, until that is proven, you cannot say you don’t have diabetes again.
Ajoku however urged the older persons in the community to always embark on exercises.
“I encouraged the older the persons in this community to find time to walk around.
“Go out and interact with other people. Don’t sit at home; get out and have fresh air. Interacting with persons even by phone helps older persons a lot”, he said.
He also urged older persons to minimise the intake of sugary food and drinks as banana, sugar cane, water melon, minerals, saying they could easily translate to sugar in the body.
Ms May Ikokwu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), an NGO, said exercise could help in keeping a healthy body.
Ikokwu expressed the commitment of the group to preservation of older persons through interactions and cultural revival. (NAN)
