BLOG 39 AGING & EXERCISE
Time dictates so many aspects of our lives. When beginning
this Blog idea, I thought to myself how much time controls my day from the
seconds, minutes, and hours. And of course in relation to this piece of
writing, it is the measure of our age. The aging process is unique to each of
us. But ultimately, it does impact our life decisions, and that includes our
exercise choices. So let’s take a look at the relationship between aging and
exercise.
Naturally, activity level changes when we get older. As one
of my long time clients put it, “Man, I don’t just roll out of bed anymore
ready to go”. This isn’t to say that one is less motivated, rather, the energy
expenditure levels are different. This is mainly due to the fact that, “A major
fraction of total daily energy arises from resting metabolism, and it is thus
important to note that resting metabolism decreases with aging, by about 10%
from early adulthood to the age of retirement, and a further 10% subsequently”
(http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/agingex/agingex.html).
Adding to this, “One reason is the loss metabolically active muscle mass and
parallel increase in metabolically inert depot fat. In later old age, there may
also be some overall reduction in cellular metabolism” (http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/agingex/agingex.html).
When muscle mass decreases, this can cause body fat to increase. Keeping the
excess pounds off can get harder. As such, “Your body fat can increase
by up to 30 percent, which leads to a loss of lean muscle tissue and can affect
your sense of balance. This can make it difficult for you to perform exercise
activities you once enjoyed” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/418037-how-does-age-affect-exercise/). We need to continue a strength training program in
order to not let our bodies replace muscle with fat at the rate it would like
to. Not to use a scare tactic but here you go: “Strength peaks around 25 year
of age, plateaus through 35 or 40 years of age, and then shows an accelerating
decline, with 25% loss of peak force by age of 65 years” (http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/agingex/agingex.html).
Exercise
becomes so extremely important as we grow older. We tell ourselves that we used
to be able to eat whatever we wanted and still look fabulous, but now the odds
aren’t necessarily the same anymore. We have to take care of our bodies, and we
can help prevent certain diseases with exercise. For example, “Your bone mass
begins to decline once you enter your thirties, putting you at risk for
conditions such as osteoporosis. If you are concerned about developing this
condition, perform more weight-bearing exercises, such as running and tennis.
Regular cardio activity will also help you control high blood pressure and high
cholesterol, as well as ward off type 2 diabetes and some kinds of cancer” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/418037-how-does-age-affect-exercise/).
As I
always say, there is no “can’t”. That word is not allowed in my studio. There
are modifications for so many exercises, and I will be by your side as we run,
walk, or crawl to get it done. If we don’t use it, we lose is, right?? Not
every day is a peak performance day, but we do we can. As long as we are
active, we are being productive to our bodies. Running a marathon might not be
in the future, but what about making to your training session twice a week and
keeping that commitment to your body?? Goals should be realistic. Remember the
glory days fondly, but know that you are keeping your mind and body in better
condition and sticking around longer for your family and friends by maintaining
an exercise program. Fitness is a way of life and the destination involves
progress not perfection so just keep going one rep a time, one day at a time,
and with every age of your life.
