Muscle loss and the affects of aging

metalpalace

Have you ever been to a hospital rehabilitation facility? They are used mostly by older people who have lived inactive sedentary lives and it finally caught up to them. Combine an inactive life with the passing of time (aging), the inevitable is certain to happen. There is a saying, "Exercise now before you have to" and "For those who think they have not time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness".

All of us know and even associate aging with growing old and frail. For those of us who do not strength train this process literally begins right after puberty. For those of us who diet and exercise without any strength training, we have the added insult of an even weaker metabolism with screaming bones and joints as we age.

No one chooses to grow frail and ill as they age. All of us would like to live a life we can fully enjoy and one day pass on peacefully in our sleep. Maybe some of us believe we will spend half of life frail like, worsening till death and just accept it because that's what we see in so many others who grow old. Why is that? Is it just a lack of knowledge? That is exactly why health care professionals are so saddened by good people all around us that are aging, growing frail, and dying in not so pleasant ways. Maybe no one told them about strength training and the enormous benefits to a higher quality of living? Maybe they, like so many others, were fatally miss guided to dieting and aerobic exercise without adequate strength training?

According to a source in the American Council on Exercise %80 of all deaths in western civilizations is a result of chronic illness largely due to lifestyle choices. This is alarming but also serves as exciting news that if we want too we can live healthier lives and enormously increase the odds of escaping chronic illness forever. This one statistic alone shows us all the enormous opportunity that exists to take hold of our lives if only we were not so under educated, apathetic, and lazy.

Tom

Sharikae

I want to add something that I learned. Another thing that also happens with lack of exercise is a lack of balance. It is important to practice balancing techniques. I had to have some physical therapy for an injure knew a few years ago. I was surprised that my balance wasn't as good as it used to be. I was an ice skater, snow skied, martial arts, tennis, etc. I didn't have the balance I once had. So now I practice my balance.

metalpalace

Some balance postures for me in yoga is really difficult but I do them anyway to keep my brain sharp as I get older. I totally agree with you.

trifitness

I agree with the whole balance issue. i bruised my calcaneous on my right foot, and was out of commision for 7 weeks. i used to have great balance, and now. its crap. must beging again. :grumble:

metalpalace

Bring some yoga into your regular exercise regimen It will correct those balance issues!