So many people I have talked to over my career say things like:
"Yeah, you're in shape now but wait until you are my age."
"Wait until you have two kids."
"It's hell getting old..."
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Guess what?
For everyone of those individuals I can find multiple examples of people in their age group and older who are as fit, strong and capable as most 20 to 30 year old's.
Age in itself is a poor excuse for:
▪️Losing distance ▪️Being in pain ▪️Decreased performance ▪️Gaining weight ▪️Losing function ▪️Poor health
So what can we do about aging: Exercise as Medicine
I will start by sharing a quote from Kym Guelfi, University of WA’s Associate Professor at the school of sports science, exercise and health:
“So many of us just don’t appreciate all the benefits you get from exercise,” she said. “There is no quick-fix medication out there that can give as many far-reaching benefits as exercise can. In many ways, exercise is the miracle pill, it can help prevent a range of serious diseases, it can help combat diabetes and heart disease, it can help you sleep, it will help you lose weight, it will improve your general well being and there is absolutely nothing out there that is as natural with so many far-reaching benefits and yet we don’t seem to appreciate it.”
This pretty much sums up the main reason all of us as human beings should engage in some kind of regular exercise routine especially as we age. It helps fight against things like heart disease and diabetes, has been shown to be effective with depression and mental well-being, prevent falls and improves safety, and helps us enjoy the activities that we love well into our years. Regardless of what your activity or sports-related goals are exercise is a necessary part of living a healthy and high-quality life.
It helps us enjoy Golf, Tennis or any other recreational activities as we age
Most golfers significantly lose distance as they get older but is the primary reason for this the years they have lived or are there other (controllable) factors that are more significant in causing this loss of distance? In a vacuum, we will lose strength, muscle mass and power with age but in most cases, it's not age that is the primary reason for these losses as well as a decrease in distance. It is more the number of years of a sedentary lifestyle and poor habits since your natural physical peak that leads to this.
Many people confuse this number with chronological age, which is a separate (and uncontrollable) element. Everybody will have a natural physical peak, which can be maintained for a certain period before a decline occurs.
THE LENGTH THIS PEAK CAN BE MAINTAINED AND THE RATE OF DROP OFF CAN BE HUGELY INFLUENCED BY YOUR ACTIONS!!!!“
I.E. Get fit, Get strong, Get healthy and Move well.
Exercise helps fight against the diseases of aging like Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia
Osteoporosis - the body constantly absorbs and replaces bone tissue. With osteoporosis, new bone creation doesn't keep up with old bone removal. Weight-bearing activity and resistance training help signal our bodies to make bone at a faster rate
Sarcopenia – is the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass (0.5–1% loss per year after the age of 50), quality, and strength associated with aging and is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults. Resistance training with heavy enough loads to result in growth signals that can lead to increased strength. Resistance exercise also increases the actions of growth-promoting hormones.
If you wait until these things start then you are already behind the eight ball. But that also doesn't mean it is too late.
So quit making excuses for being overweight, weak, and incapable of doing the things you want to do. Those changes are on you and unless you have some uncontrollable disease process, they are a byproduct of your life choices.
SO I ASK YOU...
DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD YOU ARE ON?
OR DO YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR HEALTH AND BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF YOU CAN BE?
THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
Dr. J.P. Guidry DPT CSCS TPI FL2