In 1513 Juan Ponce De Leon plunged into the Florida swamps searching for the Fountain of Youth and a cure for his erectile dysfunction. He found neither. He would have done far better to have marched his conquistadores into the nearest health club had he not been 400 or so years too early. Though the Fountain of Youth still eludes us, we have something of similar utility, think of it as the Barbells of Youth.
50 is the new 30 is becoming the chant of a growing population of people who refuse to give up their quality of life due to their age, at any age! And a growing body of sound scientific evidence supports them all the way. Life extension is no longer the stuff of back page supermarket tabloid ads and placebo concoctions sold in the mail.
With a little sweat equity in our bodies and sound nutrition we can radically slow our aging to levels once unimagined.
As we age the functions of our heart, lungs and other organs decline by as much as 50% at age 70, radically effecting our ability to pursue the lifestyles we love, and can now afford. Our heart and lungs deliver less oxygen to our shrinking muscle mass. We gain weight as our metabolism declines. Hypertension and diabetes and heart disease afflict approx. 50% of the population by age 65. Osteoporosis makes our bones brittle.
The problem is not that we are getting old, it’s that we are getting out of shape. Those who exercise regularly are far fitter, at any age then their sedentary contemporaries. But wait, the news gets even better and from no less an authoritative source then the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the December 5th issue we find a fascinating study by Dr. X. Sui. Obese adults who were physically active on a regular basis were compared to slimmer sedentary people. And guess what, the heavyset active group had half the death rate of the slimmer couch potatoes, as well as a marked reduction in a host of other medical conditions. Now, don’t go rushing off to the donut shop in your jogging outfit. The best situation is to be slim and active. But the message is clear. Anybody can exercise and be more fit and healthy-and reap the benefits.
There are lots of reasons to do it. Middle aged men who began exercising on a regular basis noted marked increases in their libido, as well as opportunities to use it. You always look better in the bedroom without the pot belly. Your tennis game will improve, and you’ll be better dressed at the party afterwards-Armani is hard to find in size 56. You’re even less likely to die in an auto accident. Not that obesity makes you a bad driver, but if you do total your car, the surgeons will have an easier time putting it all back together. And then there’s the area of social acceptance. You know you’re a great person, smart and witty etc., people will see the real you much better if you’re not a size 16.
Okay, you’re convinced, now-what’s it going to cost you? Relax, in a manner of speaking. As little as 30 minutes of physical activity a day will begin to show benefits. And it doesn’t even have to be consecutive. Two 15 minute sessions a day will do. An interesting study tracked a group of people who wanted to adopt dogs. The only condition was that the dogs were to be walked twice a day. The owners didn’t change any other aspects of their diet or lifestyles. In a year, they were all slimmer and healthier.
Fancy equipment, posh health clubs and personal trainers are great, and a good way to jump start the process, but hardly necessary. A pair of inexpensive dumbbells will give you a full body workout, and they fit into the bottom of your closet a lot better then a multi-gym.
And now the benefits start. All that muscle you’re building is metabolically active, even after you’re done exercising it will continue to burn calories. Muscle is also more dense then fat, therefore taking up less space pound for pound. Convert fat to muscle and you look slimmer.
I know, you’re too busy to exercise. Plan them like everything else on your schedule and try to get it done early in the day; that way meetings that run over schedule won’t derail your workout. Your chances of a successful exercise program being planned for just before dinner are poor.
And speaking of dinner-eat properly. It’s o.k. to be bad on occasion, but if you’re on a first name basis with a counter help at the local ice cream shop you probably need to cut back. Keep a food log if you need to, it will help track your mistakes and keep you honest. In time the good habits will be automatic and you won’t need it anymore. Cut out the useless calories in the cake, sodas and junk food. Do you really need that bag of chips? A glass of wine with dinner has been found to be beneficial, not a six pack in front of the T.V.
Carbohydrates are fine in moderation, but unlike other things in life are best kept complex. Fruits and vegetables and whole grains should make up the bulk of this category, not toaster pastries. And speaking of the latter, EAT BREAKFAST! I don’t care what your will power is like. If you skip it, by lunch you will be starving and likely to make bad choices in both selection and portion size. Also your metabolism will be in slow motion, just waiting to deposit the food it finally receives as fat. In too much of a rush? It takes 3 minutes to nuke some instant oatmeal and wolf it down. Still no time? Make some eggs the night before, throw them in the fridge and into the microwave in the morning. Grab a piece of fruit and some string cheese as you head out the door. And have some quality protein at every meal. Lean meat, poultry or fish, it satiates you and you will feel less hungry as the hours pass.
Now the good news, eat more often (but wisely). An interesting study grouped people according to how many meals a day they ate, from one to six and related this to their BMI, body mass index, a measure of weight versus height. Those who ate 6 smaller meals a day, evenly spaced out, had the lowest BMI while those who ate only one or two large meals daily were the most overweight. Eating regularly keeps your blood insulin levels more stable and helps regulate how food is metabolized and used as energy or stored as fat.
Exercise regularly, eat intelligently and soon your physiological age will seem far below the numbers on your birth certificate. You’ll appreciate the difference.