Just read parts of a new Blog I found. The blog site is
a must read. The author's name is Sebastian.
Below is an article from this wonderful writers blog that really caught my eye.
aging and disuse
Aging is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we dread growing old,
thinking it a time of forgetfulness and physical deterioration, then it
is likely to be just that. On the other hand, if we expect to be full of
energy and anticipate that our lives will be rich with new adventures
and insights, then that is the likely reality. We prescribe who we are
and what we are to become. Most, however, don’t question their
perceptions of old age. Research shows that almost everything we have
thought about growing old has been misleading. What we once considered
to be marks of aging, we now know are the results of disuse or disease.
Nutrition is a key factor enabling healthy aging. It affects the way
we look, feel and act. Do you really care about your well-being? Are
you truly interested in nurturing your body? The food we eat can make
the difference between ending the day with a feeling of freshness and
zest or fatigue and exhaustion. We tend to eat too much of what we don’t
need, and not enough of what we do need. As the body slows down, we
need fewer calories than when we were younger. But we also need at least
as many vitamins and minerals as before so choose a varied diet of
nutritious foods, possibly lower on the food chain.
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association titled
‘Disuse and Aging’, briefly stated, if you make a list of all the
changes in the human body that are ascribed to aging—changes in the
muscles, bones, brain, cholesterol, blood pressure, sleep habits, sexual
performance, psychological whatnot, and so forth—and then make a
similar list of changes due to physical inactivity, you will notice a
surprising similarity between the two lists. The near duplication of the
lists shows that many of the bodily changes we have always ascribed to
the normal aging process are in fact cause by disuse. Geez Louise—they
needed a STUDY to figure this out?! Simple observation and common sense
should be enough to tell one something so obvious.
Evidence suggests that exercising regularly during middle age and
beyond is an enormously effective way to promote just the sort of age
boomers dream about—independent, robust and fee of chronic disease or
disability. But one sure does not see much of this. If you had to pick
one thing, one single thing that comes closest to the fountain of youth,
then it would have to be exercise. It improves muscle tone, strength,
flexibility, bone density, reaction time, clear thinking, and
susceptibility to depression. Exercise improves the quality of your
life. But how many older people do you see out there in the mornings
exercising?
The sedentary life style of older people develops sedentary bodies
that are ripe for degenerative diseases. The bottom line, reflected in
dozens of studies, is that people who exercise, on average, live longer
than those who don’t, with a reduced chance of heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers,
depression, falls and even mental decline. Exercise seems to be one of
the key factors that distinguish people who have a healthy old age from
those who don’t. Being sedentary is a known risk factor for just about
every poor health outcome. But, it just does not sink in. One just needs
to get past being lazy and unmotivated.
One key aspect of exercise is the benefits of cardiovascular
(aerobic) exercise. It goes beyond improving heart health. Regular
cardio exercise may help fight many of the above problems and it boosts
your energy and can help you sleep better. Most of the physiological
systems in your body are favorably affected by cardiovascular exercise.
If you are sedentary, just going for a daily walk will greatly improve
your general health as well as your physical fitness. Work up to walking
a mile in less than 20 minutes and then shoot for two miles. This is
not merely a stroll—it is a brisk pace. Strolls don’t cut it.
Move it or lose it—flexibility is the key to vitality. How flexible
are you? Can you look over your shoulder when backing up a car? Is it
easy to get down on the floor to play with a child or pet? If you drop
something on the floor, can you comfortably pick it up? From standing,
roll down, letting your neck release so you head droops completely—can
you touch your toes?
Though some tightening is inevitable over the years, there is a
reliable way to keep the spring in your step—cultivate suppleness. It’s
not just the capacity to touch your toes; it’s muscular freedom, the
ability to flex and extend—something we would love to have as we get
older. Most choose not to work at it, however. Those are the ones
whining about how stiff they are. Well, duh! What it comes down to
is—flexibility is the ability to move.
Stretching has one immediate result—as any cat knows, a slow stretch
releases tension. When done properly, stretching helps reduce pain and
stiffness and maintains flexibility as muscles and tendons tighten with
disuse (some call it ‘aging’). It loosens the muscles and allows you a
fuller range of motion.
Regular stretching that is treated as its own workout (not just at
the end of exercise) also helps maintain or return flexibility that has
declined with inactivity. The age-related stiffening (also called
‘disuse’) makes everything from standing up straight to getting out of
bed harder. Stretching is the way to do something about it. Lost
flexibility is a particular problem for older people, because
inflexibility is linked to poor balance and an increased risk of
dangerous falls.
Stretch just to the point of tension, then pausing for 30 seconds
eases the tightening. Over time this lengthening and loosening increases
the range of motion, the distance muscles and tendons can extend
without injury or pain.
Of the three cornerstones of fitness—cardiovascular health, muscle
strength, and flexibility—stretching earns the simplicity title hands
down, and it gets the blue ribbon as the one activity most likely to
prevent injury and extend a person’s active life. A good stretch can be
had almost anywhere, anytime, with no special equipment or clothing.
Could there be a simpler workout? BUT if your experience is like
mine—the first month is going to be extremely humbling.
Improving your fitness habits is absolutely the key to independence
and having some control of your life as you get up there in years. The
recurring, science-proven theme in extending your life span and staying
healthy is maintaining a regular exercise routine. NOT magic pills or
potions or costly body-cleansing rituals. These last few options are
quite popular however, probably due to the fact that they don’t take any
effort. Hey, just continue to be delusional and pop another pill.
The kind of activities that lead to health grow from understanding
and appreciation rather than from a grim sense of duty. It should not be
sheer willpower and obligation that gets you out the door in the
morning to exercise. Benefits to the body and spirit would be somewhat
restricted. You would also be missing the point of a healthy lifestyle.
There’s a term, ‘self-efficacy’. That might be what aging is all
about. It means maintaining competency, mastery, autonomy, independence.
If, as we grow older, we give in to the opposite—dependency,
incompetency and failure—we diminish the quality of our lives. Our aging
is in our own hands. It is no one else’s responsibility. If we depend
on our doctors, our families, our government or our companies to ensure
its adequacy, we must accept whatever future they guide us to, and we
risk compromising the quality of our lives. On the other hand, if we
take charge of our lives, we can ensure that our future years are
independent and active. We can actually LIVE our whole lives. Healthful
living demands healthful life styles.
Remember—the ball is in your court. Pick it up.
Article written by Sebastian @ http://shalyard.blogspot.com/
.jpg)
