Growing Old-Move it or Lose it!

 

Growing Old-Move it or Lose it! I'm writing this blog because of a recent trip to a retirement community. I walked down hallways filled with elderly people, and I wondered about their lives. What was their life like? If they could, would they change the way the had lived? I was amazed, and realized no matter what their past was like, they were all here, and they all had a story. As we age, our bodies degenerate. It typically starts around our mid 30's when our muscle mass starts to deteriorate, making us look, well, flabby. Not to mention the loss of strength that happens during this process. Can we stop the aging process? No, but we can slow it down. We must "move it or lose it." We must use the muscles, or they will become weak. This is called muscle atrophy. Between our 50th and 70th birthdays, we will lose nearly 30% of our body strength. By the time we reach our 80's we will have lost a total of nearly 60% body strength. What can we do to slow this aging process? The answer is simple: walk. Walking is a weight bearing exercise and is a great start for muscle retention. Other weight bearing exercises can be incorporated such as: jogging, tennis, climbing stairs, dancing and weight lifting. It is vital that the earlier you start these exercises the better armed you will be going into the "golden years" with less risk of bone density problems. Because endorphins are released when we exercise, you will have more energy and will feel euphoric, a great added bonus! You will also have more energy and sleep better. It is also imperative that we do not smoke. We need to eat healthy, whole foods. We need to drink alcohol in moderation, or not at all. Drinking alcohol and smoking will only speed up the aging process by damaging cells and tissues. Unfortunately, the damaged cells are not reproduced. Smoking, unhealthy eating, and drinking alcohol results in wrinkles, yellow hair, and yellow teeth. It also damages the inside of your body. It causes emphysema, cancers and tumors. It irritates me when people come into they gym and say, "I'm too old to join." You are never too old to exercise, maybe just too lazy! If you still think your too old read on. No matter your age, your muscles and skeletal system will respond to exercise. Your skeletal system needs the calcium to increase density and strength that is produced by osteoblasts during exercise. Calcium increases bone density, and when you are not active, this process slows down. When you do not exercise, calcium is not delivered to the bones and therefore your bones become weak and brittle. Exercise also strengthens your tissues and your muscles. Strong tissues protect your muscles; strong muscles protect you from falling. 20-30% of falls are moderate to severe. Falls can cause debilitating fractures; and, in some cases, early death. My most active client is 65. Everyday he walks at a brisk pace for no less than 30 minutes, and then will do free weights for another 30-40 minutes. I have clients well into their 70's. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is! How we treat our bodies today will have a tremendous affect on how we age. We may not see those results now, but I guarantee that some of the people at the retirement community would change the way they treated their bodies. Your body is a temple. You are given one chance, treat it with respect.