| Once we get past age 30 and we begin to | | | | complete bed rest can be equated to 30 years of |
| experience the effects of the aging process we | | | | aging. This is what is happening to a lesser degree |
| tend to accept them as a fact of life and one | | | | in people that do not do enough strength building |
| that we have little or no control over. Although | | | | exercise. |
| we cannot stop this process recent studies have | | | | The reason we must do this type of exercise is |
| shown that we can alter the rate that our body | | | | because there is no longer any physical 'work' left |
| moves through our life cycle. We now have a | | | | in our modern day lives. Everything that even |
| better understanding of what makes this cycle | | | | remotely resembles anything that requires any |
| more difficult for some people and not others. | | | | physical effort has long since been removed to |
| It is now believed that we can slow down and | | | | make our lives easier. |
| even reverse many of the negative symptoms | | | | Our bodies are hardwired for the stimulation of |
| of aging and can be in much better health in the | | | | intense movement to keep us healthy and well. |
| last third of our life than we were in the second | | | | Without it the cells do not get the necessary |
| third. These studies have pin pointed the cause of | | | | chemical instructions to renew, rebuild, replace and |
| many of the problems associated with getting | | | | repair themselves. |
| older as simply a lack of muscle building and | | | | The really good news is that simply spending a |
| maintaining exercise. | | | | couple of hours each week partaking in a proper |
| As people get older they tend to do less and less | | | | exercise program that must contain strength |
| physical activity. Perhaps that fact is left over | | | | training exercise is all it takes to avoid this huge |
| from old fashioned beliefs that we should 'slow | | | | downside of getting older. We can increase our |
| down' and 'take it easy' as we get older. Well that | | | | strength, improve bone density, improve flexibility, |
| misguided belief has cost millions of people the | | | | reduce excess body fat, speed up reaction time, |
| enjoyment of that last third of their one and only | | | | improve our heart/lung function, lift our spirits and |
| life as they slide down a slippery slope of | | | | reduce our risk of serious disease and illness. |
| premature and preventable disability. | | | | You would have to agree these are huge benefits |
| If you have any doubts about this go and take a | | | | that can be obtained for so little outlay. |
| look in a nursing home. The residents there are | | | | A fitness professional is the right person to set up |
| not sick; they are weak and frail and cannot take | | | | your program and teach you correct exercise |
| care of themselves. This is the result of years | | | | technique. It is important that you perform your |
| and decades of a sedentary life, of 'taking it easy' | | | | exercises at the right level of intensity (degree of |
| and 'slowing down'. | | | | difficulty) otherwise your program will not be |
| Not really a very nice way to spend that last third | | | | effective. |
| is it? Not something that any of us would look | | | | Getting older can be a scary thing but the best |
| forward to. | | | | way to deal with it is to face it strong and fit. |
| This state of dysfunction could be compared to a | | | | Then the negative symptoms can be minimized |
| person spending a month in bed. One's strength, | | | | so they are merely an inconvenience rather than |
| endurance, mobility and cardiovascular | | | | a disaster. Then you can focus on making the |
| performance measured before and after this | | | | most of the second or last third of your life. |