All can agree, it is inevitable to avoid the aging process. Throughout our life, we must prepare for the inevitable by either dropping our bad habits or most importantly incorporating exercise into our daily routine. As we age, we begin to see a negative impact on our cardiovascular, digestive, and neurovascular system. In addition, we will see a decrease in muscle mass, bone deposition, and memory. To counteract these detriments, we use exercise to prolong these effects on the body. Overall, exercise will immediate positive impact on the body by…
- Improving physical and mental health
- Reduce morbidity and prolong life span
- Help prevent falls
- Reduce anxiety and depression
- Reduce pain symptoms
The ultimate goal of exercise in the aging process is to prolong the degeneration of bone and muscle. Through a successful exercise intervention, we are able to manipulate the aging curve to slow down muscle and bone loss in an individual. As shown by the graph below, bending the aging curve can produce a biological age of 70 in an individual with the chronological age of 90 in which results in about twice as much muscle area. In time, it is important to assess you overall health and determine whether or not it is in your best interest to exercise under the supervision of a Physical Therapist or Exercise Specialist to ensure your safety or to even have a reference to consult with about overall health and wellness issues.
Sources:
http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/exercise-physical-activity/introduction
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070?pg=1
By: Dan Hagan
Editor’s Note: Keep a look out for more fitness/health informational blogs in the future!!!