Optimal health needn’t be a mid-life crisis
Optimal health in older people depends on maintaining muscle mass and smart eating. Although our ability to do so is somewhat more of a challenge as we get older. Let’s face it, we seem to have everything against us, not only are our bodies becoming less efficient at burning calories and toning muscle, but also life presents too many distractions from focusing on our own well-being.
The days of the occasional workout to keep away the paunch are pretty much a thing of the past. Our aging bodies are now heading straight for a perfect storm of lower metabolic rate, lower testosterone levels (men only) and depleted energy reserves; it is no wonder we are starting to gain the pounds.
So what are we to do? Frankly, optimal health need not be a mid-life crisis.
There is plenty of evidence that exercise improves health, and I don’t need to go over these again here. What I want to concentrate on however, is the importance of maintaining muscle for optimal health; through weight-training in particular.
Loss of Muscle
As we get older we naturally lose muscle mass and bone density. Muscle Atrophy can occur due to inactivity. Which will become more severe if prolonged and leads to a disease known as Sarcropenia; the effects of which is permanent loss in movement function and metabolic capacity. It is believed that as much as 10% of the elderly suffer with this, due to lack of activity during their younger years.
However, Atrophy can be reversed through exercise and in particular weight-training.
See image below, showing how muscle cells change due to age and inactivity.
Many studies have shown that weight-loading boosts Testosterone (in men), slows the reduction in bone-density and improves your mental health. Reduction in bone-density is a cause of skeletal illnesses such as Osteoporosis. Whereas lower Testosterone reduces sex-drive and speeds up the aging process – increased motality.
Staying Slim
As we age, our resting metabolic rate reduces and thus the rate at which we burn calories during inactivity. Retention of muscle mass however, can reverse this effect. Muscle burns calories, something I have discussed in a previous article: The secret of your success.
We already know that High-Intensity activity, such as weight-training reduces fat as a direct consequence, and also continues to burn calories even during rest.
Given both these facts, frankly it seems a no-brainer to tone the muscles in order to help you get and stay slim in advancing years.
In conclusion, maintaining muscle mass is essential for optimal health in the elderly. Besides, with a good physique, you will feel and look younger too!
Personally, I think it is essential for us more ‘mature’ types to use the gym regularly to avoid Atrophy. Which is why I feel compelled to promote weight-training to middle-aged men and women throughout these blogs.
In the next article, I address the importance of diet also, to avoid that mid-life health crisis.
