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If you're approaching age 50, you've probably started planning so that you'll have enough money to retire in ten to fifteen years and enjoy some travel and leisure time. Equally important is asking yourself if you'll have enough muscle left in ten to fifteen years to hit that golf ball, pick up that grandchild or energetically stroll the streets of foreign cities.  As you grow older, you may feel there is nothing you can do about the physical changes that are occurring year by year. The good news is that there is something you can do, and it doesn't even have to be expensive.
What is it? Exercise! If you're looking for the fountain of youth, exercise is the closest thing you'll find.
Advances in medicine and technology can add years to your life. But if your lifestyle doesn't include good nutrition and regular exercise, you may be alive but unable to participate in life's pleasures. Exercise is the element that can add both years to your life and life to your years.
It's a fact that regular exercise can often slow or reverse much of the physical decline associated with aging. Research shows that regardless of age, exercisers receive similar benefits from fitness training. While some aspects of physical function-such as maximal heart rate, ligament strength and flexibility and bone mineral density-deteriorate with age, most physical decline stems from inactivity and is therefore reversible.
Some sort of regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, running, swimming or biking, is necessary to keep your cardiorespiratory system strong and healthy. Even though there is a slight decline in your maximal heart rate over the years, most people's aerobic endurance decreases because of inactivity and a decline in fitness level. An active and fit 70-year old can have a healthier heart than a sedentary and unfit 25-year old.
Loss of muscle and strength can lead to weight gain, decreased metabolism, balance and gait problems that can result in falls, fatigue, problems in the back, hips and knees, and decreases in mobility. There's only one way to stop your muscles from wasting away, and that is regular strength training. It doesn't matter if you're a 30-year old runner or 70-year old retiree. If you don't build muscle, you'll lose muscle. Weight training just two days a week for about 20 to 30 minutes each time, can give you significant results. Choose 8 to 10 exercises that target all your major muscle groups and perform one set of each exercise to fatigue. Strength training through an appropriate range of motion will not only make you stronger, it will also keep you flexible and mobile.
If you're eager to get going on an exercise program, take Firstpath's Health Risk Self-Evaluator. Make an appointment with your doctor and take your Self-Evaluator results with you. Your health history will determine the best activities for you, and a doctor can give you guidelines to help you start slowly and progress gradually.
Most of us rarely go for even a day without eating, yet it's easy to go for weeks, months or even years without exercising. But the good news is, it's never too late to start. Remember that there is no age limit to the benefits of exercise. Turn back the clock by eating healthy foods and staying active on a daily basis. Move it or lose it!
In this week's Muscles In Motion column, Candice can help you get started on a strength training program with the "Side Leg Lift on the Ball."
Recommendations:
- Your Personal Trainer by Douglas Brooks
- Building Strength and Stamina by Wayne L. Westcott
- Strength Training For Women by James A. Peterson
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