|
Most
of us speak negatively about getting older, but we usually
agree that aging is better than the other alternative.
Although the numbers can be discouraging, it is important
to realize that our chronological age and our functional
age can be very different. Working in the fitness
profession for more than 30 years, and conducting
thousands of fitness evaluations, I have come to the
conclusion that one's functional ability may be only
marginally related to one's age.
Generally speaking, I have tested 40 year olds who
function more like 20 year olds, and others who function
more like 60 year olds. That is, there seems to be a
20-year plus or minus effect associated with your level of
physical fitness.
People
sometimes ask me if this exercise factor holds true for
older individuals. My answer is an emphatic yes. For
example, there are 60 year olds who have the physical
capacity of 40 year olds, and there are others whose
physical performance resembles that of 80 year olds.
But
what about people in their 80's and 90's? Certainly we
don't expect such elderly individuals to exercise or
remain physically active, do we? Perhaps we don't, but we
definitely should. Consider the examples of my father,
Warren Westcott, and my friend, George Conway, both of
whom are in their 90's.
My
father began Nautilus strength training eight years ago,
when he was 82 years of age. At that time he was
dangerously thin, weighing only 124 pounds at a height of
5'11".
He
responded well to the progressive resistance exercise,
gradually increasing both his muscle strength and body
weight. At age 90, he presently weighs 146 pounds having
added about 20 pounds of functional tissue (muscle and
bone), and about two pounds of fat. His Nautilus exercise
weightloads are so high that many people prefer not to
follow him down the line of machines. For example, he
completes leg presses with 190 pounds, chest-triceps
presses with 160 pounds, and seated rows with 130 pounds.
This overall muscular strength makes his daily tasks and
lifestyle activities much easier to perform, and provides
a high level of personal satisfaction. For example, he
can enjoy his daily 20 minute walks or stationary cycling
sessions, and he can manage a large house with little
difficulty.
George
Conway started exercising when he was 80 years of age,
over 17 years ago. As George states, "Exercise adds life
to your years and years to your life."
Like
my father, George began his fitness program with Nautilus
strength training. However, he also started walking, an
activity in which he rapidly improved, and has excelled at
various racewalking distances over the past several
years. George has indeed become a competitive senior
athlete, as well as a physical fitness enthusiast.
Consider his world record racewalking performances, and
you will see that he is every bit as deserving of his
All-American rating as younger track athletes.
|
Age 86 |
3000 Meter Walk |
24:40 |
|
Age 86 |
10000 Meter Walk |
83:56 |
|
Age 87 |
10000 Meter Walk |
82:44 |
|
Age 88 |
10000 Meter Walk |
83:51 |
|
Age 88 |
One Hour Walk |
6967 Meters |
|
Age 90 |
10000 Meter Walk |
89:55 |
|
Age 90 |
One Hour Walk |
6797 Meters |
In
addition to his athletic accomplishments, George has been
an inspiration to countless older adults in the state of
Massachusetts. He is frequently featured as a speaker at
senior centers and community events. Fortunately, George
tells it like it is…if you don't want to lose it then you
have to use it!
While
the above statement applies to almost every aspect of the
aging process, it aptly describes our musculoskeletal
system. Unless we do regular strength exercise, we lose
over five pounds of muscle and significant amounts of bone
mass every decade of adult life. This debilitating and
insidious lifestyle response results in a progressively
slower metabolism, and is associated with numerous
degenerative problems and diseases such as low back pain,
obesity, heart disease, adult diabetes, and certain types
of cancer.
The
good news is that muscle loss can be changed to muscle
gain by following Warren and George's exercise examples.
Even better, you don't have to wait until your 80's to
experience the benefits of regular strength training.
For
example, several studies with subjects over age 50 have
shown more than three pounds of new muscle following three
months of strength exercise. Research has also revealed
associated benefits, including increased metabolic rate,
more bone mass, lower blood pressure, better blood lipid
profiles, greater glucose utilization, improved
digestion/elimination, reduced low back pain, decreased
arthritic discomfort and enhanced self-confidence.
Fortunately, a sensible and successful strength training
program is not an energy sapping or time-consuming ordeal.
Basically, you need to exercise only 20 to 30 minutes, two
or three days a week to develop relatively high levels of
musculoskeletal fitness. The basic training protocol is
one set of a dozen Nautilus exercises, using a resistance
that you can perform properly for 8 to 12 repetitions. It
doesn't take a long time or excessive effort, but the
results are nothing short of remarkable. Of course, if you
prefer to train at home, you can achieve similar benefits
by exercising with dumbbells or other types of resistance
apparatus.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Wayne
L. Westcott, Ph.D.
is fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA and
author of the new book
Strength Training Past 50.
 More
Books from Dr. Westcott
CEC:
Current Strength Training Research by Dr.
Westcott
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
