A Reflection On “You’re Never Too Old To Start Exercising”
I was reading some of my older posts and remembered that I was going to do more research in regards to exercise and older adults. I wrote a post that briefly discusses exercise and aging. “You’re Never Too Old To Start Exercising”. It is very brief and I don’t go into too much detail or the scientific studies that has been done on this subject. This caused me to begin researching into the possibilities of exercise and a natural diet being the so called “fountain of youth”, or the anti aging prescription that could make us not only live longer, but full, vigorous lives. The research that has been done is enormous, and too be expected. The Baby Boomers! The US Census Bureau defines the baby boomer as anyone born between Jan. 1st, 1946 through Dec. 31st, 1964. That means that the first of the baby boomers reached the age of 65 this year. So it is no wonder that research has been done on the older adults. After all they represent a large demographic, and with health care costs soring and retirement pensions declining, it is important to make health and wellness a top priority. Anyways….
Although I missed being a baby boomer just slightly, all of my siblings are baby boomers. And though we are all relatively healthy, there is still that desire to help as many people as I can obtain a healthy lifestyle.
Did you know that studies have been done that shows that the effects of aging and the effects of disuse or sedentary lifestyle are virtually the same. This is an eye opener when it comes to exercise and age. People become old when they start to slow down and stop being active. Age has nothing to do with it, it is mainly the result of inactivity. The older we become chronologically doesn’t have to make us “old” or inactive. If we continue to stay active and eat a healthy nutrient rich diet; there is no reason why we should have to slow down and grow old. Yes, we will age, but that doesn’t mean that we have to grow old. Changes that is associated with both aging and inactivity include changes in muscles, bones, brain, cholesterol, blood pressure, sleep habits, sexual performance, psychological inventory to name a few. These can all be slowed down or prevented with active exercise and proper nutrition.
So physical activity, regardless of what your forte, Strength Training, Swimming, Cardiovascular training, running, hiking, sports activities such as tennis, biking, whatever you enjoy, shouldn’t have to stop as you age. In fact it is the prescription that we need as we get older. I recall a line from a movie, where an older man says “youth is wasted on the young”. I love that line, because it is true. When you are young you take your youth for granted and don’t give much thought to the physical attributes that you possess. As a person gets older it is a lot of talk about, when I was your age I could”… and we all remember the physical advantages we had when we were younger. The seemingly, limitless energy, athletic abilities and not to mention the stupid things we were able to do and get away with because we had the ability to recover faster. The so called “Good Old Days”. Well the Good Old Days don’t have to be a thing of the past. I say this because I am living proof that you can start or continue a fitness lifestyle and make progressions as you get older. You can gain strength as you age, and develop power and flexibility. Your age is just a number, it doesn’t have to mean that you are old. There are too many examples to list here but I will however mention Jack Lalanne.
Although; I am not a baby boomer, I am stronger than I was 20 years ago, and have more energy than ever before. I have the same size waist as I did in High School and yet I am heavier by 30 pounds. This isn’t to be boasting, but to try and communicate the importance of exercise and proper nutrition. I still set goals that I want to achieve in the weight room and in my athletic performance. I don’t care about breaking records but want to maintain a relative strength performance and stay active for what ever endeavor that comes along. I never want to say I am too old for this”, though at times I may feel it.
Bottom line, don’t let your age discourage you from enjoying the activities that you participate in or want to take up as a new sport or hobby. Enjoy your life, and play. It is too short to sit on the sidelines and wonder, What If?
