Staying Healthy and Fit as We Age
Staying Healthy and Fit as We Age
Bone Density Decreases
As we age our muscle mass, bone density, and flexibility naturally decrease. However, to what extent depends completely on the individual. The inescapable fact is that we’re all growing older and there’s not a darn thing we can do about it. It is the inevitable! However, thanks to modern medicine, we are living longer than ever. (Some go as far as to say, seventy is the new fifty!) This statement holds some truth if you have the quality of life to do the things you want to do.
Importance of Physical Activity
As we age, our bodies go through many changes. And although we may try and do everything in our power, we can’t completely prevent age-related declines in function. Both cognitive and physical. However, research suggests that regular physical activity and exercise throughout a person’s life can help slow many age-related functional declines. It can also prevent the onset of diseases related to obesity and sedentary behavior. Additionally, living a healthy lifestyle with regular physical activity can also help to reverse damage caused by a lifetime of inactivity.
Strength Training
Consistent physical activity, cardio and especially weight training, play a large role in staying healthy and fit as we age. Without spending some time in the gym strength training, you are sure to encounter muscle atrophy prematurely. From the time we are born, to around the time we turn 30, our muscles grow larger and stronger. After we reach our mid-thirties, this all changes. We start to lose muscle mass and function. The cause is age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging. Now physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you’ll still have some muscle loss.
Regular Exercise
Limiting sedentary behavior throughout the lifetime may impact the degree of physical, psychological, and social success experienced by aging adults. Exercise has been shown to help regulate blood glucose. It also restores function of vasculature, reverses skeletal muscle aging and reverses coronary heart disease. It’s well known that exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help with disease prevention. In addition, it decreases the risk for all-cause mortality. It is less known that regular physical activity has played a huge role in reversing age-related cell changes, since it encourages the cells to make more proteins that help with energy production. Regular exercise, especially weight-training, enhances the machinery (ribosomes) to produce proteins, thus increases the production of proteins and enhances protein abundance in our muscles.
Never Too Late
If you realize you are amongst the mainly sedentary or currently inactive population don’t worry, it’s never too late to start. A great percentage of my personal training clients are in their “wiser-more mature” years and making better choices than the so called younger generation. They are fitter, stronger, and wiser too!! For more information on staying healthy and fit as we age, remaining agile, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.
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