Taiwan’s older population embraces weight-lifting with the right support

Taiwan’s older population embraces weight-lifting with the right support

2023-05-22

The gym is becoming a hot choice for Taiwan’s older adults! Today we meet some of Taiwan’s older weight-lifting champions. Sixty-one-year-old Lee Tsai-wei recently brought home a slew of medals from a power-lifting championship in Dubai. Ninety-year-old Ling Chou-cha wowed audiences at a weightlifting competition in Taiwan. We also chat to a fitness coach to find out how he helps older adults get into training in a safe and fun way – sometimes, for the first time in their life.

Sixty-year-old Lee Tsai-wei lifts a 115-kilo barbell into the air in a clean sweep.

Last year, she competed at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships, clinching four gold medals. In 2022, a Taiwanese deadlifting competition was graced by the participation of this 90-year-old grandmother, Ling Chou-cha. She lifted 62.5 kilos.

Ling Chou-cha (Dec. 10, 2022)
Nonagenarian powerlifter
My grandson takes me to the gym once a week.

We spoke to fitness coach Danny, who says lifting weights and fitness training are great for older adults. It can prevent muscle loss and slow down the aging process.

Danny
Fitness coach
I normally look first at whether they have any history of injuries. If they do, then they will have some discomfort in their joints, and there will definitely be some actions they should avoid. If it’s just their muscles that are limited, then it’s a question of expanding their mobility, so that they’re not in pain during training.

But if it’s your first time entering a gym and you have absolutely no regular exercise routine, it pays to be cautious. A coach will first check your history of injuries, and get you started with beginner moves like the squat. Gradually you can add more weight. Of course, some people can go straight for the barbells.

Danny
Fitness coach
I had an older student who was in his 60s. At the start he had poor mobility in his thoracic spine, and in his hips. When I first showed him how to squat, he couldn’t complete the movement correctly, basically. We gradually corrected the movements. For example, we got him doing exercises with light dumbbells. Now he can lift barbells of 50 or 60 kilos.

The gym is not just for youngsters! When older adults get support from a knowledgeable coach, they can make a fitness plan that will take care of injuries while building up strength. With the correct technique, and perseverance, you can reach your personal best in your twilight years.

防肌肉流失.延緩老化! 銀髮族健身重訓好處多

2023-05-22

近年來越來越流行銀髮族健身，台灣就有一位61歲的健力阿嬤李采薇，到杜拜參加比賽獲得四面金牌。其實老人家比年輕人更需要健身來維持肌耐力，只是需要注意傷病史以及用藥情況，好好做好健身規劃後，也能夠快樂健身，延緩身體老化。

61歲的李彩薇挑戰硬舉115公斤，一氣呵成。

李彩薇去年代表台灣參加亞洲經典健力錦標賽，榮獲4面金牌。台灣去年底舉辦一項硬舉大賽中，甚至有一位90歲的阿嬤，舉出62.5公斤。

[[90歲健力比賽參加者凌周茶(2022.12.10)]]
“我孫子都帶我去健身房，一個星期一次。”

健身教練尤其鼓勵銀髮族健身或重訓，能預防肌肉流失，也延緩身體老化。

[[健身教練 Danny]]
“大概先看一下他就是有沒有任何傷病的歷史，只要有，那你勢必有一些關節不舒服的問題，一定有一些動作你要去避免，甚至說如果其實只是肌肉受限的問題，那你要怎麼把他活動度打開，讓他不至於說是疼痛狀態在接受訓練。”

不過初入健身房，如果過去沒有任何運動習慣，還是得多注意。教練們會先確定老人家沒有任何疾病後，可以先從入門的深蹲開始，再慢慢增加重量，但也有人一開始就能上槓鈴。

[[健身教練 Danny]]
“一位大哥學生大概60幾歲，一開始來胸椎活動度也不好，髖關節的活動也很差，那他一開始我叫他做深蹲的時候，他基本上沒有辦法做到標準，一定是慢慢修正他的動作，讓他拿譬如說輕的啞鈴去做操作。現在槓鈴也是慢慢的蹲，也是蹲到50、60公斤去了。”

健身房並非年輕人專利，老人家只要和教練做好健身規劃，從基礎蹲姿慢慢入門，只要動作正確，就算彎腰或舉重物也不必怕受傷，持之以恆，可能身體比年輕時更健康。

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At the WHA’s opening on Sunday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom called for a global pandemic treaty.

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The pandemic accord that member states are now negotiating must be a historic agreement to make a paradigm shift in global health security recognizing that our fates are interwoven.

Taiwan will likely not be part of this high-stakes agreement, as Taiwan was once again excluded from this year’s WHA. One hour before the start of the assembly, a Taiwan delegation held a press conference, where the health chief appealed to the WHO.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
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Excluding Taiwan from the WHO not only jeopardizes the right to health of the 23.5 million people of Taiwan. It also seriously undermines the WHO’s effort to achieve health for all.

A lawmaker and an activist thanked Taiwan’s supporters, saying Taiwan had much to contribute and should not be left out.

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Together with the international community, Taiwan can and will continue to contribute more in the post-pandemic era.

Lin Shih-chia
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And this year we have witnessed nearly 500 Taiwanese people coming from different parts of the world to show their support. This is the largest number.

At an event later on Sunday, the health minister had words of encouragement for Taiwan.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
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We should not be discouraged. We have more and more friends and support at our side. One day, the circumstances will change. One day, we may be able to turn things around.

Taiwan officials joined health forums held on the sidelines of the WHA. At one event, Premier Chen Chien-jen shared Taiwan’s COVID experience via videoconference.

Chen Chien-jen
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A PHEIC (public health emergency of international concern) needs to be announced quickly, transparently and widely. The World Health Organization should play a better coordinating role with professionalism and political neutrality.

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In 2019, it became a global pandemic, which infected more than 750 million people.

Earlier in the day, the World Medical Association, Taiwan Medical Association, and Taiwan’s health ministry hosted a breakfast meeting where officials argued for Taiwan’s inclusion.

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Visiting delegations enhance security of Taiwan Strait: FM Joseph Wu

Foreign minister Joseph Wu has hit back at a lawmaker who said that recent visiting delegations have expressed support for Taiwan, but offered no substantial aid. Responding to KMT Legislator Wu Sz-huai, the minister said that when more and more nations express support for Taiwan, they help enhance the security of the Taiwan Strait. He also refuted claims that his ministry had not given enough help to a Taiwanese student attacked last week in New York.

On the internet forum Dcard, a post titled “I was subject to an indiscriminate attack in New York” has gone viral. The post was made by a Taiwanese student in New York, who was struck in the head by a Black woman. When the student asked for help from Taiwan’s consulate, she was only given the contact information of a lawyer. The student wrote that this response was “disappointing.”

Joseph Wu
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We did provide our support. This claim that we ignored the situation is not true. This victim –as the result of our discussion with the victimized national – we found that she wanted to file a lawsuit. So we recommended a lawyer who had a long-term cooperative relationship with our consulate.

Foreign minister Joseph Wu described how the case was handled, emphasizing that his ministry had not been derelict in its duties. He also addressed allegations made by KMT Legislator Wu Sz-huai, who said that visiting U.S. and EU officials have voiced support for Taiwan but done nothing substantial to help.

Joseph Wu
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China is becoming a greater and greater threat to Taiwan. If more countries in the world, including the G-7 nations, stand up against China’s threat to Taiwan, then I believe Taiwan’s security situation will be better.

Besides crossing swords with the legislator, the foreign minister also rejected Elon Musk’s recent remarks on Taiwan. Musk said that “the official policy of China is that Taiwan should be integrated,” and that “there’s a certain inevitability to the situation.”

Joseph Wu
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How to make money from YouTube: a guide by finance expert Allen Chen

With social media present in every part of life, many people dream of becoming an influencer. Platforms like YouTube tout big ad revenue for popular channels. But financial advice expert and YouTuber Allen Chen says that even a channel with 100,000 subscribers can’t provide a living. With 140,000 subscribers himself, he knows what he’s talking about. So how can YouTube become a career? Here’s Chen’s guide on how to make online content profitable.

Allen Chen walks into a room, sits down and takes out his laptop, and he’s ready to roll.

Born in 1986, he worked in the finance industry for 10 years before he decided to film his first YouTube video, three years ago. He focuses on labor insurance issues, and he now has more than 140,000 subscribers. His most popular video has almost 1.5 million views.

He uploads one video every week. Because his content has a very defined focus, he quickly made a name for himself in the finance influencer scene. But Chen admits that it’s hard to make a living from YouTube traffic.

Allen Chen
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Some people can’t solve their issue by watching videos. So, some send me a direct message, or they fill in a form I have, to book a consultation with me.

If Chen breaks his income down, 20% of it comes from media. The biggest earner is financial consultations, which comprise 40% of his income. Financial planning is 20%, and the final 20% is online courses.

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A fan collector made a special trip to Japan to buy this antique fan. When it was smashed in transit on the way home, his heart was broken.

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When he got home and opened the suitcase, he saw it had been smashed, and he was horrified. So he came and found me straight away.

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It’s about the design style. Everyone wants to get fans that look different from the others. Really. The designs and styles used to be so unique. Like perfume fans – they have a very special grill design. That’s what collectors love best.

Cheng says there are 2,000 or 3,000 antique fan collectors in Taiwan. They share their passion and exchange information online. Antiques are nothing like modern plastic electric fans. They cherish everything from the old motors and coils, solid materials and heavy metal frames, to the delicate, musty “old fan smell.”

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In the old days, electric fans were all about real, solid materials. Now they’re all plastic, which is light, easy to tip over, and breaks easily. They used to be aluminum alloys, or pig iron, so they were very steady.

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Member of public
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Member of public
It feels like drinking fruit juice – or eating a real pineapple.

This little ice lolly contains a quarter of a pineapple. All the treats are made with real ingredients. The association earns NT$23 million a year from ice cream. That’s about 11% of their annual revenue. The association never expected frozen treats to become such a golden goose.

Last year, it spent more than NT$35 million on a brand-new processing factory, with upgraded, fully automated production lines. Production capacity has more than doubled.

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In the past, we could only produce 2,000 to 3,000 ice lollies a day. Now we can produce 6,000 to 8,000.

Chang Chien-tsai
Ji’an Farmers’ Association
Our ice cream business has grown about 20% in the last two years. We’ve invested in these production lines in recent years, and we hope they can grow to be 40-50% of our sales revenue.

Ji’an Farmers’ Association first started making frozen treats in 2000, and it’s still the only farmers’ association in Taiwan with an ice cream factory. Initially, it found success with the “rice ice cream” line. Later it launched many local flavors, like pumpkin, taro and pineapple. Now it plans to offer an ice production service for Taiwan’s 301 other farmers’ associations, enabling growers all over the country to make icy profits from their produce.

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