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For years we have been lead to believe that as we get older we have earned the right to 'slow down' and 'take it easy'. This used to be considered a fair reward for years of hard work and being productive. But the trouble is now-a-days is that we no longer do any 'hard work'. Our modern day lives are virtually devoid of any activity that resembles the 'real physical work' that our ancestors did on a daily basis just to survive. The idea of 10-20 years of rest is not a good one. Rest and 'taking it easy' is precisely what aging humans do not need. After the mid 20's people begin to gain body fat and lose muscle strength, bone and aerobic (heart/lung) capacity along with an increased risk of disease. These declines are accelerated by a sedentary lifestyle giving a person a one way ticket to the 'disability zone'. This 'disability zone' is the time spent from the point at which a person no longer leads a quality life (because of illness, or loss of physical function) until their death. This period is often 10-15 years (or longer) near the end of a person's life when they become increasingly dependant on others. Their 'health span' does not match their 'life span'. Your health span is when you are fully physically functional, healthy, disease free and otherwise capable of performing everyday tasks and activities. A person is self reliant and capable of independent living because functional capacity is high. How do you land yourself in the disability zone? Compounding health risks that accumulate until disease is manifested or when someone's mental or physical functioning has deteriorated to the point they can no longer function on their own. Your lifestyle over the years (and decades) will speed up, slow down or even reverse the time spent in this zone. What you do and don't do on a daily basis will come home to roost. You do have total control over how this effects you as by simply practicing better health and fitness habits you can generally dictate how long and when you will move into the zone (if at all). One of the fastest ways to propel yourself in the disability zone is to avoid proper strengthening exercise. It does not make any sense that someone would avoid wanting to increase the quality of their own precious life? Why risk years of your one and only life for the satisfaction of not having to exert oneself sitting on a couch for your leisure time or stuck at a desk for your working hours. If you do spend most (or all) of your day seated or hardly moving it is imperative that you have a proper strength building and maintaining program in place. This vigorous movement of your muscles is what is needed to tell the body to stay strong and healthy. By staying inactive (sitting and walking is not enough and doesn't count) you are telling your body that it is no longer needed so it switches into 'shut down' mode to make way for younger and more productive humans. A simple strength training program performed 2-3 times each week is all that is needed to keep you strong. It really is not that much of a chunk out of your life considering what you will get back. Get some help from a fitness professional so you can be shown how to do things correctly and get the most 'bang for your buck'. We have all seen older people with a lack of oomph and vitality. They have lost so much muscle tissue their flesh just hangs off them. They have in fact rusted out like a piece of old machinery nobody uses anymore. You do not have to end up like this but it will require some action on your part to make sure your body doesn't pass its prime before you do.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "Ive Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here: Health Related Fitness For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
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