Amy is a contributing author for the PMF club.
It is proven that regular exercise can slow or reverse many effects of aging including Alzheimer’s and dementia. Did you also know that aerobic exercise coupled with strength training can increase function, improve response speed, increase brain volume, and reduce the risk of falls by 33%? Weight-bearing exercise improves bone strength, in addition to building muscle strength, endurance, and power. Working out improves mood and reduces stress, depression, and anxiety. Regular physical activity also reduces your risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease, as well as lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. Not to mention, it’s fun too!
As we age, it is important to adjust our workouts to reflect our body’s needs. Here are some helpful tips regarding how we should focus our workouts depending on our age.
By age 40, The metabolism has dropped another 10% since your 30’s. To counteract one should decrease calories by an additional 100 per day or increase exercise frequency, duration, or intensity. Post-menopausal women need resistance training and weight bearing exercise to slow and reverse the loss of bone mass, help balance hormones, and combat weight gain. Generally women between age 45 and 55 gain around 12-15 pounds!
By age 50, not only has your metabolism slowed 5% more (unless you regularly do weight training) but a loss of 5% skeletal muscle has also occurred! Maximal oxygen consumption (the greatest amount of oxygen your body can efficiently use during exercise), which peaked at age 35, is now declining 10-15%. Interval training can increase both cardiac output (the overall performance of the heart) and max oxygen consumption which will not only allow the body to function properly but also will help enable your heart to pump blood at a sufficient rate to maintain an adequate and continuous supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the brain and other vital organs.
At this age, taking care of ourselves and maintaining a certain level of physical fitness becomes more important than ever!
At age 60 and above. Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, becomes more apparent. Sarcopenia effects 5-13% of 60 to 70-year olds and that percentage increases to 11-50% by age 80. Recommendations include 2-4 days per week of resistance or strength training. By 80 years of age, cardiac output will have decreased by 30%. Aerobic training can improve cardiac output as well as increase brain volume and counteract cognitive losses. Regular exercise can also slow or even reverse Alzheimer’s and dementia. Training can also improve stability, balance, response speed, and increase capillaries in the brain (these are the smallest blood vessels in the human body and are responsible for transporting nutrients and wastes to and from your body’s tissues) which all help reduce the risk of falls by as much as 33%!
Brought to you by Amy Abraham
Written by By Zan Brazil
