Marlow-born Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave leads shingles awareness campaign
The British rowing athlete is raising awareness of the risk of shingles
Marlow-born former Olympic rower, Sir Steve Redgrave, joins a campaign to raise awareness of shingles, a viral infection causing rashes which can sometimes lead to complications.
A recent report by GSK for Shingles Awareness Week unveiled alarming trends in the health behaviours of Brits over 60.
Despite 85% of respondents considering staying healthy as they age "very important," only 59% visit their doctor when experiencing worrisome symptoms, with only half of the respondents exercise regularly.
"The older we get, our immune system tends to weaken, so being active, eating healthy all helps..."
In addition, six in 10 watch their diet, and over a third do not limit their alcohol intake.
Sir Steve Redgrave said: "The older we get, our immune system tends to weaken, so being active, eating healthy all helps on that process to build up immunity."
"If your immune system's down, of pushing ourselves to our limit, of working too hard and not looking after ourselves, there's more opportunity of that coming out."
With age, individuals become more susceptible to conditions like shingles due to the natural weakening of the immune system.
"...you can have good intentions of trying to stay fit but the reality of life sort of takes over."
Sir Steve Redgrave advocates for healthy aging practices such as regular exercise, balanced diet, and adult vaccinations, just like he tries to do in his everyday life.
He said: "Being very much aware of what I eat, how I exercise, and try and stay as healthy as I possibly can."
"When I was an athlete I was training two, three, sometimes four sessions a day, for 49 weeks a year, getting a day off once every three weeks, so pretty extreme, and you can have good intentions of trying to stay fit but the reality of life sort of takes over."
Now that his Olympic and professional rowing career are over, Sir Redgrave told Greatest Hits Radio the most important thing is to keep an active routine going, especially after years of intense training.
The Department of Health Chief Medical Officer's report has also emphasized the need for action to improve the health and quality of life of older adults.
Other influential personalities, like TV star Janet Street-Porter, who has experienced shingles twice, joined forces in raising awareness of shingles and the importance of preventive measures.