You may have heard someone say “you won’t catch me dead exercising.” That’s probably true. You will catch them dead someday because they didn’t exercise. I heard a senior citizen remark that “he was too old not to exercise.” To be alive is to move, and moving is a form of exercise. The old saying that “you snooze you lose” seems to be true concerning the loss of our muscles, lean body mass, and flexibility. If we let our muscles “sleep too long”, we do lose them. Here are some reasons to exercise:
Increases: Energy Level, Metabolism, Spirits,
Lean Muscle Mass, Strong Bones,
Flexibility, Disease Resistance,
Restful Sleep, Mind-Body Coordination.
Decreases: Stress, Weight, Blood Pressure,
Body Fat, Irritability, Depression,
Risk of Disease, Risk of Lower Back Pain.
Exercise can be a daily vacation for you and a reason to interact with friends and have fun such as going for a walk. Exercise fans the flame for life style change. Make it a habit.
As we age, there are several negative activities happening to our bodies. They include the loss of muscle tissue, about 5 lbs for every decade past 30, and a decrease in our metabolism, about 5% for every decade past 30. More calories are expended to sustain muscle than fat, so it naturally follows that we will burn less calories as we lose muscle mass. On the other hand, we will expend more calories as we gain lean muscle mass. Besides muscular development, exercise tends to strengthen our bones and joints, surrounding tendons and ligaments, and improves our range of motion at the joints.
Exercise fights the onset of arthritis and osteoporosis. If you have ever had a broken arm reset and placed in a cast, you have observed the consequences of lack of exercise and mobility. When the cast is removed the arm appears smaller and has lost muscle tone. The good news is that strength training increases bone mineral density and coupled with proper rest and nutrition, rewards us with strong bones and lean muscles.
Exercise is an activity you really can’t live without, so find the time and do something that you can enjoy and reap the benefits you deserve.
Sources:
Strength Training Past 50, Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle,1997.
Article by Bob McDowell, Certified Personal Trainer.
