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Fighting Back Against Ageing's Role in Fitness
No part of your body is spared the effects of ageing, which is why it's best to exercise all of it, no matter how old you are.
Aerobic capacity and muscle strength will decline as the years pass. But regular training can provide the right exercise to slow the process dramatically, enabling you to manage your weight, enjoy good health and count on lots of energy for the foreseeable future.
Even people in their 80s can benefit from regular exercise such as a swimming and walking regime tailored to their age and physical condition.
Supplying oxygen to the muscles as quickly as possible is a crucial factor in staying strong and keeping fit as you age. Oxygen is part of the fuel that allows muscle tissue to produce mechanical energy by contracting. Blood glucose is the other necessary fuel.
When you begin training exercises such as lifting hand weights, the body's demand for oxygen increases because muscles require more oxygen for fuel.
The body's capacity to use oxygen is actually measurable. It's called "oxygen uptake" and is designated VO2, which registers the liters of gas absorbed per minute through breathing. When people train, their V02 goes up; if they become sedentary, it goes down.
Training not only raises the limit of maximum oxygen uptake but it also dramatically increases the level of exertion a person can sustain for long periods. This is why a normally sedentary person struggles to keep up with a fit friend even during simple exercise such as walking.
A huge benefit of training can be the maintenance of the heart's ability to move oxygen-rich blood around the body and reduce the risk of developing the cluster of increased risks for cardiovascular disease called Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X).
Muscle strength declines 10-15% per decade, starting at about age 30. This is because there is actual loss of muscle fibers and the nerves that drive them. The decline is also due to some fibers that used to generate brief bursts of power becoming transformed to long-acting endurance fibers - a change that reduces strength overall.
By age 70, a person is only half as strong as he or she was in their youth, though maintaining a training program throughout the decades can help ensure that strength and fitness remains good for whatever age a person is.
It's never too late to start a training program in order to lose weight and keep fit. However, you should always consult your doctor first before beginning a strenuous new exercise regime.
Local gyms are usually happy to offer free advice about the kind of strength training that suits an individual's needs at any age. By staying strong, you'll enjoy a great sense of well being.
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