While aging brings with it a host of health related problems it can be the best period of a person’s life if done well. I am not going to dig into the existential question of what is life’s purpose which is an extremely important topic. I will merely say that a major component of the answer to that question is to treat yourself and others well. Be nice to yourself and especially nice to others and you will make the world a better place. Ok, one of the ways to treat yourself well is to prepare your body for the hazards of aging. We are a sedentary society and the older we get the likely we are to remain or increase our sedentary ways. As many as 80% of the people in their 50s and older have too much body fat and to little lean muscle. This condition leads to a host of chronic health problems such as obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer among others as well as just feeling tired and worn out all the time. That is not a prescription for enjoying the time allotted to your after 50.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 30 minuets of physical exercise daily for persons 18 to 64 years of age. That means just taking a short walk a couple times a day. That is easy right, almost everyone can do that, but remember that is the general recommendation and it is the minimum dose of exercise. I would say that is a good start but it does nothing to combat the annual loss in muscle mass that we each suffer after age 40. Less muscle means being weaker and the propensity to burn fewer calories which means more body fat. Weaker means life becomes harder. Its harder to carry the groceries, its harder to get in and out a car or to climb the stairs etc… Fortunately muscle loss is reversible, but it requires effort. I believe the governmental guidelines for exercise will change in a few years. Studies have consistently shown the health benefits of strength training/resistance exercise. So it is inevitable that resistance training will be added to the governmental recommended daily exercise regime. The loss of muscle accelerates after 50 years of age so you must build muscle through resistance exercise to combat this loss on an ongoing basis after 50.
20 to 40 minutes of resistance exercise 3 times a week has been shown to build muscle tissue in people 50 to 90 years of age. Resistance training increases metabolism so you build muscle in conjunction with burning fat. Reducing body fat and adding lean muscle are both very good things as you age. This will also reduce physical frailty. This means you will better be able to maintain your freedom and vitality increasing your sense of self-worth and value. This mental health boost will have a synergistic effect on your life and the lives of those around you. Treating yourself well and treating those around you well will enhance the world for everyone. So by choosing to pick up some weights or use some exercise resistance machines you bring value to the whole. If you have any questions or need help getting started contact me at [email protected]