No matter what you do, regardless of your age, remember there is one important key to staying fit
Although there are many specific activities that help you stay fit as you get older, there is one simple fact that’s most important – you must stay active.
Most experts will agree that inactivity is the one thing that hastens aging. Why? Research has shown that several things naturally occur as we age:
• Muscle decreases
• Heart rate falls
• Metabolism slows
• Bones weaken
Yet these can be counteracted to some degree by remaining physically active. No, it won’t make you young again. But you’ll feel better, be able to do more, and likely engage in a more youthful lifestyle.
My mother had arthritis for much of her adult life. Yet she worked until she was well over 70. She worked in the foodservice industry, so her physical and mental activity were constant.
However, after she retired, her physical infirmities seemed to increase. The longer she was retired, the less active she became. Even simple tasks like going up stairs or getting in and out of bed became extremely difficult. The more difficult it became, the less she did.
Now you may say that’s just how it is when you get old. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Remaining active will not cure conditions, like arthritis. But it can help alleviate the associated stiffness and pain. Many people who have such conditions remain active and maintain a good quality of life. So those inescapable facts about aging don’t have to overtake life.
Muscles do shrink as we get older but exercise, particularly weight training, can help as many older adults have found. According to “Weight Training for Dummies” by Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg, “Not long ago, weight lifting was the domain of very large people. People with shoulders wider than the wingspan of a DC-10. … Not anymore. At health clubs these days, you see 70-year-olds pumping iron alongside high school students.” All it takes to make a difference is a regular program of simple weight training.
Decreased heart rate and slower metabolism are only acerbated by our tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle. Today, we have drive-up everything – banks, restaurants, dry cleaners, even pharmacies. Park the car, get out, and walk. Walking everyday, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or any other aerobic activity will help get your heart pumping.
Both men and women are prone to bone loss, although this is frequently considered a female problem. Osteoporosis is more pronounced in post-menopausal women due to hormonal changes, but it happens to men too. Research provides strong evidence that bone loss can be helped by physical activity – particularly weight-bearing activity such as walking. Another great help is a regular weight-lifting program. “The word is finally out: Lifting weights can strengthen your bones, boost your energy, help you lose fat, and give you the oomph to push a lawnmower,” according to “Weight Training for Dummies.”
So, what’s the bottom line here? Many of those aches and pains attributed to getting older are actually more the result of inactivity. Remember, there are other benefits to being in better physical condition. Tests have show that physically fit people are less tired and less depressed. This is most likely because they’re able to do more and have a better self-image. “You’re as old as you feel” – did you ever hear that saying?
Well, stay active and you may feel like you’ve found a fountain of youth.
590 words
Although there are many specific activities that help you stay fit as you get older, there is one simple fact that’s most important – you must stay active.
Most experts will agree that inactivity is the one thing that hastens aging. Why? Research has shown that several things naturally occur as we age:
• Muscle decreases
• Heart rate falls
• Metabolism slows
• Bones weaken
Yet these can be counteracted to some degree by remaining physically active. No, it won’t make you young again. But you’ll feel better, be able to do more, and likely engage in a more youthful lifestyle.
My mother had arthritis for much of her adult life. Yet she worked until she was well over 70. She worked in the foodservice industry, so her physical and mental activity were constant.
However, after she retired, her physical infirmities seemed to increase. The longer she was retired, the less active she became. Even simple tasks like going up stairs or getting in and out of bed became extremely difficult. The more difficult it became, the less she did.
Now you may say that’s just how it is when you get old. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Remaining active will not cure conditions, like arthritis. But it can help alleviate the associated stiffness and pain. Many people who have such conditions remain active and maintain a good quality of life. So those inescapable facts about aging don’t have to overtake life.
Muscles do shrink as we get older but exercise, particularly weight training, can help as many older adults have found. According to “Weight Training for Dummies” by Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg, “Not long ago, weight lifting was the domain of very large people. People with shoulders wider than the wingspan of a DC-10. … Not anymore. At health clubs these days, you see 70-year-olds pumping iron alongside high school students.” All it takes to make a difference is a regular program of simple weight training.
Decreased heart rate and slower metabolism are only acerbated by our tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle. Today, we have drive-up everything – banks, restaurants, dry cleaners, even pharmacies. Park the car, get out, and walk. Walking everyday, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or any other aerobic activity will help get your heart pumping.
Both men and women are prone to bone loss, although this is frequently considered a female problem. Osteoporosis is more pronounced in post-menopausal women due to hormonal changes, but it happens to men too. Research provides strong evidence that bone loss can be helped by physical activity – particularly weight-bearing activity such as walking. Another great help is a regular weight-lifting program. “The word is finally out: Lifting weights can strengthen your bones, boost your energy, help you lose fat, and give you the oomph to push a lawnmower,” according to “Weight Training for Dummies.”
So, what’s the bottom line here? Many of those aches and pains attributed to getting older are actually more the result of inactivity. Remember, there are other benefits to being in better physical condition. Tests have show that physically fit people are less tired and less depressed. This is most likely because they’re able to do more and have a better self-image. “You’re as old as you feel” – did you ever hear that saying?
Well, stay active and you may feel like you’ve found a fountain of youth.
590 words
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