Become Younger As You Grow Older

There was a time when the age of 50 was associated with being old. Not anymore! Evidence now illustrates that consistent workouts and smart nutrition turn the old fifty into the new fourty. A key ingredient to healthy aging is regular physical activity. However small the lifestyle change, it could add years to your life. Every little bit of additional activity has a measurable impact on health.

A 2001 article in “Living Longer and Loving It” stated that Dr. Maria Fiatarone Singh at the University of Sydney in Australia, tested strength training with weights on men and women in their 80s and 90s. Most were frail, had arthritis and heart disease and took multiple medications.

Guess what happened? Within 10 weeks, virtually all of the participants got stronger and were able to walk faster and climb stairs more easily. Those who were depressed became more sociable, and those who took nutritional supplements had improved appetites.

The article also noted that exercise training should be challenging. For example, to keep fitness levels on an upward curve, you need keep pushing yourself and mix it up. You can’t use the same form, dose, and intensity for all people.

This is something I’ve advocated for many years. If you’ve been sedentary and you get into a fitness program, you can expect renewed energy, increased strength, lean muscle, burn more calories and expect an invigorated state of well being. All it takes is some dedication and time.

Inactivity is more of a sinister enemy than we realize. It increases our ratio of body fat to muscle mass, increases cholesterol levels, risk of blood clots, heart disease and lessens the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels.

What this means is that you can’t afford not to work out. The sooner the better – it’s recommended at any age.

Maintain Muscle Mass Into Old Age

If we’re not careful, by retirement, we could lose one-third to one-half of our muscle tissue. This debilitating condition, called sarcopenia – the loss of muscle tissue, a lowering of our metabolic rate lowers and excess body fat accumulation. Sarcopenia is also a condition of weakness, disability, and early death. We either lose it or we lose our quality of life.

Although sarcopenia is mostly seen in physically inactive individuals, it’s can also be present in those who remain active during their lifetime. This suggests that physical inactivity is not the only contributing factor to sarcopenia. Current research is finding that the development of sarcopenia includes many factors, including inactivity, motor-unit remodeling, decreased hormone levels, and decreased protein synthesis.

The bad news: By age 70, most people have at least 20% less muscle tissue that they did at age 30, when muscle mass generally is greatest. After age 30, muscle mass begins to decline slowly at the rate of about 1-2 kilograms per decade. Men and women appear to lose the same percentage of muscle tissue, though men generally carry a higher muscle-to-fat ratio than women.

The good news: Research from the International Longevity Center points to the impact that exercise can have on the risk of sarcopenia. Men and women 60-96 years of age who suffered from loss of body mass and strength, and who did a moderate amount of strength training twice a week had an increase in muscle strength ranging from 113 % to 174% after eight to 12 weeks. Astounding, considering the advanced years of the subjects.

This shows that resistance training generally has a big impact in stopping and even reversing sarcopenia. Research indicates that older adults who have been lifting weights for 15 to 20 years are at least as strong as inactive 20-year-olds. But it’s never too late to start. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends sets of 8-12 repetitions, two to three alternating days per week. Older and frail individuals who are just beginning a strength-training program, should consider starting with lighter weights and fewer repetitions.

Diabetes Speeds The Aging Process

If you’re older than 40, having type 1 or type 2 diabetes ages your heart by fifteen years on average, says a 2006 Lancet study.Prolonged periods of high blood glucose levels can accelerate damage to blood vessels. To undo the damage, help your heart by exercising on a regular basis, eating wholesome foods and keeping tight contol over blood sugar levels.

Remember, moderation is the key to prevention.