M2: Discuss two major theories of ageing in relation to the development of the individual
The activity theory
Physical:
The individual I am firstly going to discuss is an elderly woman aged 65 years old called Steph. She
fully enjoys her life and doesn’t like staying indoors, ever since she was young she has always
enjoyed adventure. By staying healthy she likes to provide food for herself which contains nutrients
and vitamins which will improve her health by maintaining bone health, lowering the risk of high
blood pressure and heart disease therefore she is able to control her weight. She is very active in the
respect that she enjoys sports like running and swimming. These sports will improve her physical
health significantly, as they will improve her immune system so preventing illnesses, maintain
muscle mass, reduce obesity risk, and prevent life threating diseases such as heart disease. They will
also reduce the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis by increasing bone density and joint range of
motion. However, the negatives of this may be that Steph may be tired all the time meaning she may
not have the energy to go out with friends and family due to the sports she participates in. She could
have falls resulting in injury this means it will take longer to heal. Steph’s physiological state will be
altered as it could lower her self-esteem and confidence as she may begin to question her self-
worth, if she gets the illness fatigue, it may demotivate her to lead a healthy lifestyle in the activity
theory.
Intellectual:
Steph likes to maintain her mental stability by joining book clubs as this will be beneficial to Steph as
the process of reading trains the cognitive abilities of the brain. It also activates areas that aren’t
activated at other times to become active. This occurs when blood enters the brain areas
responsible for concentration and cognition and this will improve her reading skills. She also engages
in bingo this will improve her problem-solving skills, enhances hand-eye coordination and boosts
cognitive abilities as it keeps the brain active. By going out to activities such as museums, theatres
and orchestras this will broaden her intelligence as well as her conversations with others. From the
physical activity she does this will also improve her coordination skills. However, Steph may
experience memory loss if she either becomes diagnosed with dementia or short-term memory. This
could have a huge knock back for Steph’s self-esteem and confidence as she may not feel any value
by learning new information.
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