Yes, it is possible to improve with age just like a fine wine. Our quality of life as we grow older is dependent upon how we can manage physically. As an aging adult, the most valuable asset we have is our physical strength. Each time we move we use our muscles – everything is dependent on the ability of those muscles to carry out the specific task we are doing. When we have toned muscles each thing we do day in and day out will be simpler and not as tiresome to complete. When we have more strength we have more energy and we are better able to maximize every day.
Since the beginning of human’s time on earth, they have been forced to perform with physicality and in the beginning this physical prowess was more important than mental capability as survival was paramount. As man evolved from his primitive origins he still had to exert himself physically as a farmer which required tough manual labor and this role lasted for centuries. As automation became a reality the need for human power lessened and physical demand on humans was reduced. Today, nearly everything we do is automated or at least far easier to do with less physical effort; we simply do not use our muscles much anymore.
Humans have found ways and means of flourishing financially for the most part that do not involve physical exertion and our bodies suffer as a result. The physical structure of human’s remains the same as it was fifty thousand years ago and for some reason we do not feel compelled to maintain physical activity any longer. We just disregard the obvious, that our bodies require some physical movement or action for rejuvenation.
Our physical structure is an engineering marvel designed for movement – walking, running; lifting and stretching so we could hunt and gather our daily nourishment. These days we have kids watching videos and playing games and adults plopped in front of computer monitors and television sets instead of outside getting active. We need to perform the physical functions that we were engineered to do. Rarely do we do the repetitious movement required to maintain our innate physicality. This affects us in more ways than one would imagine. No activity means our body does not repair and grow due to a complex reaction between hormonal chemicals and our cellular configuration, these cells wind up dying off.
The result of all of this is what we now refer to as “chronic lifestyle disease” that afflicts multiple millions on the planet and it is forecast that within the next decade some four hundred million humans will perish from this “disease” that is totally curable! The result of our current lifestyles causes huge loss to families as their loved ones perish prematurely from cancer, heart disease and diabetes complications. Children are affected as well. Their current life spans if born now are thought to be reduced by twenty to thirty years since they contract illnesses that were not even present fifty years ago or even up to a century previously.
Even though this problem is due to an accumulation of factors, one of the primary things that cause this is a lack of physical strength – muscularity. Hard to believe but fifty percent of our body weight comes from our muscle tissue. When these muscles are not worked or engaged in any way with exercise or continuous action they become weakened and begin to take down the health of the individual host’s whole body. When the hormones that repair and grow are nowhere to be found, there is no rejuvenation or regeneration of the older weaker tissue. In its absence the body becomes frail and susceptible to illness and disease.
The immutable rules of nature remain the same, if an organism is powerful than it can be taken for granted that this strength it displays is useful to the whole. When it does not perform to peak efficiencies than the assumption is that it is useless and should be eradicated to free space for more aggressive and prolific organisms. Nature does not take any prisoners, no dead weight is allowed.
The way to maintain optimum health is to maintain your strength so you can put one over on natures rule. Your body will continue to propagate in its wellness as long as it is receiving the correct message from actively motivated exercise of your muscles. You will be able to feel youthful and energetic as long as your strength is maintained and your body believes it is useful.
If you live a sedentary life you will not be able to maintain the connection between muscle strength and usefulness and your body will rebel. You need to become more active and that means exercising a minimum of three times per week for about a half hour to forty minutes each time. All your muscle groups need to be worked so your entire body will remain strong.
This is a very elementary part of your inner circle of health and life, it is not complicated. Particularly if you do not want to become one of the estimated four hundred thousand souls who will be culled from the population as a result of premature death due to avoidable illnesses.
The problem is whether you are thirty years old or seventy five, if you are not exercising your muscles enough and keeping active, you will be losing muscle mass. When we age we usually begin to cut back on our physical activity and when this starts we begin to lose roughly a half a pound of muscle mass per year. If you are intent on continuing the sedentary life than the loss rate will actually double when you arrive at fifty years old. When this occurs your health starts a decline that will eventually reduce your quality of life and the number of years you have left.
It was just recently that the importance of maintaining your muscle mass and strength came to light as a longevity characteristic. This is amazing really considering that most of the problems of aging are a direct result of weakened muscularity. Older people fall and slip getting injured in the process because of a lack of strength, they become debilitated and wind up in wheel chairs or using walkers due to strength loss and this disappearing independence lands them in nursing home for assisted living.
As a result of three or four decades of neglecting their strength and living inactive lifestyles, this lack of muscle power means loss of mobility and ultimately renders them incapable of caring for their own needs. If they would only have used their muscles more often and challenged themselves physically they would quite likely be maintaining their health and ultimately their independence. The human physiology is only interested in keeping around what is sustaining itself. Why humans suddenly think this rule of nature no longer concerns them at a certain point in their lives is quite strange.
Your physical power and strength needs to be nurtured and managed by self discipline. This self discipline takes the form of an exercise regimen of mainly strength building exercise no less than three times per week but more is better. At the same you need to take a hard look at your diet. This means avoiding the fast food and unhealthy junk foods we love so much. This is where a good deal of discipline must be utilized.
Maintaining your strength along with a healthy diet and improved fitness overall is worth every minute you put into it. Sure it takes some thought but it certainly is not difficult and the dividends paid are marvelous. It does not take long before you begin to see the changes occurring in your body, more muscle definition, increased energy, better wind for prolonged activities and less fear of injuring yourself. It will not be long and you will be avoiding your old lifestyle like the last weeks garbage!
It is helpful if you can begin your training with professional guidance and certainly speak to your physician before starting a new routine if you have existing conditions in particular. Help from a fitness pro means you will experience positive results faster and that is important mentally in staying with the program. It does not take long to recapture the youthful appearance you once had and years of inactivity and decrepitness will disappear.
Maintaining your health and strength as you age is your own responsibility. You are the one who must take the initial steps to improve yourself and it does not matter how old you are when you begin. The fact is that regardless of age you will notice improvement in your physical capabilities relatively quickly; you just need to get started and make it a habit. There is no reason whatsoever why you should not be more powerful and stronger in you midlife or junior senior years and later, as you were when you were twenty or thirty. That in itself should be all the motivation you need.
Anti Aging Theories, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity
Tue, Aug 24, 2010
Anti Aging Theories, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity