Reverse Aging with Exercise
Since joining the blogosphere back in 2007, Ihave remained pretty much a hermit. I’ve been pretty closed off and started doing it, primarily, to catalog my deep love of basketball and more recently, P90X.
As of late, I’ve started to reach out. I have befriended 2 people in particular. One of them, Jeff, has his own blog called Life isn’t over (at 40 or any age) and he chronicles what it’s like to work out as you age and the effects it has on him. I’ve become a fan of his blog because , although I’m only 33, I want to be old someday too (sorry, Jeff!).
So we’ve written back and forth over the last few days and he agreed to graciously provide me with a guest post for my blog today. I hope you guys enjoy it!
First the Proof
Exercise is something we are taught at a young age. Remember PE (Physical Education) class? When I was 9 I remember PE class well. I finally got even with my teacher by nailing him with a Dodgeball – but I was only able to do that with the techniques taught in PE. And it was fun.
As we get older, physical education is given less attention. School curriculums have changed and many do not require this to graduate to the next level. So as we get out into the real world, exercise evolves into different motivations. Some attend to keep their shapely physiques. And the rest of us attend to get back that shapely physique (or acquire it for the first time). But as we get older, our ability to exercise is diminished and we soon lose the ability to exercise at all….NOT!
Circulation magazine, from the American Heart Association, did a study starting back in 1966. Five men who were 20 years old at the time had their aerobic capacity measured before and after 20 days of bed rest. The bedrest cause a huge loss in their fitness. But after 8 weeks of intensive training, they were able to suprpass their original level of fitness and get back into shape. This study was later used by NASA to predict the fitness levels of astronauts in space.
Thirty years later the same men were located for a follow up study. After 6 months of moderate exercise, all five men, now in their 50′s, had brought their fitness levels back to the when they were 20 year olds.
In another study, the Stanford University School of Medicine followed 500 runners for more than 20 years. What they found was that as these runners entered their 70′s and 80′s they had fewer disabilities than non-runners, were half as likely to die early deaths, and kept them clearer of strokes, heart attacks, cancer, neurological diseases, etc.
Now IS The Time to Act!
I’m almost 42. I’ve been off and on the fitness wagon, but with children of my own, I have gained a new perspective on life. As I like to say, Life Is Not Over – At Age 40 or Any Age. The activity you do today will help as you get older. Sure, there are pitfalls along the way: excuses, achey joints, and friends of similar age around you who use those same excuses. Silence those voices in your head! Those achey joints today can become new joints tomorrow. The days of soreness related to a new program will soon give way to greater strength, vitality and a zest for life. But it takes action – not just consideration.
There are countless programs to get you started back on the road to resurrection. Many people enjoy a health club or gym while others feel judged or “not attractive enough.” If that is your reason for not working out, then look no further than P90X. This revolutionary program provides the user with a workout program AND a nutrition guide to help you get back the days of many years past. Whether you are 20 or 50, this home-based program provides the tools needed to succeed. Best of all, it’s founder, Tony Horton, a personal trainer, was in his mid-40′s when he developed P90X. Today he is 51 and still looking great.
It’s Up to You
At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Exercise can be initiated by anyone at any age. But the sooner you do it, the sooner it becomes habit. And the sooner you become more active, the more enjoyment there is to get out of life. The sooner you become more active, then excuses fade away and your vocabulary involves more of what you CAN do versus what you cannot.
For more information about P90X or other home workout programs, please visit my Beachbody Site or check out my blog for more information.
