In 2018 a new age is upon us. The age of defying how our greatest generation, lives, works and plays! If you are lucky enough to experience a long life, what do you think your later years will look like? Are you worried about how vibrant and enjoyable these years will be? Well, stop worrying and take action instead. If you want to increase your chances of being active and healthy tomorrow you need to get active and make healthy decisions today.
Define Your Life
Despite what society has said over the past 50 years there isn’t a magical age where you stop working and living life and go off into the sunset. It doesn’t matter whether you are 20 or 100, plan your ideal life from finish to start and live it. Struggling to wake up with no goals, dreams, or aspirations isn’t good for anyone at any age. Stay active, keep planning your future and take adventures daily. Life is meant to be lived to the fullest every second!
Habits Are Either Deposits or Withdraws from Your Health Account
Most of your habits can either be categorized as healthy or unhealthy. Some of them will be out of your control and that is ok. Take for example, the habit of eating a donut at the local coffee shop every morning with your friends and solving all of the world’s problems. To fix this, just get rid of all of your unhealthy friends and family members and you’ll be good. Right? No, it’s not that easy. Make a conscience effort and record your habits. Next categorize them as either healthy or unhealthy. Decide which habits could be adapted or gotten rid of. What new habits should you adopt? Be a conscience consumer and remember each habitual action throughout your life is either a deposit or withdraw from your health account!
How do you expect me to enjoy life when I am always in pain and tired?
Evidence and science supporting the health benefits of exercise are strong (1), but the real question is how strong are you? Exercise will slow and reverse some of the effects of aging and alleviate many negative side effects of the illnesses associated with aging. We have discovered the fountain of youth and it looks exactly like regular vigorous exercise. The best part of all this information is that you have access to this fountain every single day! At TriAffect, our programs are designed to safely & successfully challenge your body, improve your physical capabilities, and reverse & slow the effects of aging. I tell my clients regularly “If you move more today you will maintain your ability to move independently tomorrow”.
Isn’t it dangerous to lift weights, jump around and move fast when you are over 50?
I consider this belief a health epidemic as it can cause our 50+ community to fear the #1 thing that will help them live healthier and more active lives! (2) Lifting weights and exercising faster has proven to have the biggest positive impact on the way our aging population lives. When done regularly in a structured and safe manner, you can see immediate improvements in eye hand coordination, reaction time and ability to contract muscles quickly and effectively. I have used this training with my clients 75+ for the past year and it has been extremely effective even with limited use. Osteoporosis is a big risk for many and jumping exercises (3) are actually encouraged in women at risk for osteoporosis as it helps increase their bone density. (If you already have osteoporosis you should consult your Dr. before adding jumping exercises into your program.) When you break down anatomy, biology, biomechanics and exercise science to their basic principles you will discover your body is a machine that adapts to the job you are asking it to do most regularly. Now, how cool is that!
How will exercise help me remember where I put the remote?
Exercise increases, blood flow, oxygen uptake, endorphins, and so much more. When you perform exercises regularly and challenge the body adequately the brain becomes more adaptive (4). Depending on the specific types of exercise the brain will strengthen more in some areas than others, but all exercise is good for your brain! Any increase in oxygen and blood flow is good for living tissue. So, the next time you lose the remote go outside and walk or run 10 sprints and you’ll remember exactly where you put that remote 😊.
Each day you wait is a lost opportunity to protect your body and mind, renew your sense of adventure, and take on new challenges. So, contact your local Functional Aging Specialist today and start turning back the hands of time!
- http://www.newsweek.com/exercise-anti-aging-younger-cellular-level-telomeres-607228ging
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/strength-and-power-training-a-guide-for-older-adults
- https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2017/how-to-strengthen-bones-photo.html#slide3
- http://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(02)02143-4?cc=y
Excellent article and absolutely true. Thank you Jake, for keeping me functional. I used to think getting old and falling apart was normal.
Thank you JP, You are the finest example of aging gracefully and we are lucky to have the ability to help you live every day to the fullest!