Live Better Longer, By Being Stronger
Who doesn't want to live their best possible life for as long as possible before Mother Nature takes
it from us? How do you live better for longer? Is there anything you can do to slow the progress of Mother Nature?
We were all given physical attributes when entering this world. Some of us were given more than others. I'm in my mid 40's and still wish that I had been blessed with the ability to dunk a basketball in my youth but that just wasn't in the cards for me. I've got what I got and you have what you have, whatever that may be. Keep in mind as you go through this article, your best or better is yours, wherever you are right now.
Let's simplify the aging process so we can understand what Mother Nature is doing. The first 25 years of life are spent in the growing phase. Your body is changing, adapting, and growing according to your genes, environment, and stressors that you demand of your body. When I talk about stressors, I'm really talking about the demands that you are putting on your body. Take a look at a high school football linebacker vs the long distant runner. They place different demands on their bodies and thus, their bodies are forming differently.
The next 10 years of life are spent in a holding to a slightly declining phase (again, I'm referring to human biology). This again is going to be individually based on genes and demands that are being placed on your body. The important thing to note here is that the snowball called Mother Nature is now going to start to build some momentum.
As we enter mid-life, your human body is really starting to shed some of its high demanding muscle on an annual basis. Let's assume you are losing 1/2 pound of muscle each year (some studies have shown that we can be losing up to 3 pounds). Over the course of 20 years, this could be 10 pounds or more of muscle that has evaporated from your system. Now, consider the fact that 1 pound of muscle burns about 50 calories per day. In 20 years, your metabolism is now burning about 500 calories per day less but you're probably not eating less food. Now you're starting to pack on excess fat, build fat around internal organs (you don't have to look fat to be building up internal fat), and the process of aging is really starting speed up. Less muscle means that your bones don't have to be as strong so they start to decline in density as well. We become older, weaker and we break easier. Don't forget about the physiological side of the aging process as all of this starts to happen.
The number 1 killer of people in the last 100 years in a row is Heart Disease. Heart Disease occurs largely in older generations. Very simply, our bodies get weaker and heavier, our hearts have to work harder to keep up, and after a lifetime of damaging the important muscle (the heart), it finally gives in. A significant amount of people spends their golden years with Heart Disease, a weakened physical body, and struggle to do the things they want to do or the things they have always been able to do. This is the part of the aging process that doesn't seem enjoyable. Can we stop this process and maybe even reverse it?
It is possible to live better for longer! The equation to do it is actually quite simple. It's something we've heard many times over. Number 1, we must tackle one of the root causes at its very beginning. We must slow and even reverse the muscle loss problem ASAP. This can be done at any age. Let me say this again, we can greatly slow, probably even stop, and potentially even reverse the muscle loss at any age. That's right, if you can read this article, you have the ability to add new muscle to your skeletal system. You can continue to get stronger at any age. You can continue to help your heart do the work by maintaining your muscles. This is a big deal. If you don't think it is, go somewhere where there are more than 10-15 steps. Watch a 25-year-old walk up the stairs and then watch a 75-year-old. Better than that, check their heart rates at the top. You've heard the term biological age. No matter how old you actually are, we want to turn that biological age down! Maintaining muscle and even building new muscle is an excellent opportunity to do that.
Great, but how? There is only one way to maintain and potentially even add muscle? You must work the muscles hard enough that a signal is sent to maintain them (or grow them). You must then give them proper rest so that your body can re-store them. Repeat the process……. forever. It doesn't matter how old you are; you need to do this forever. This isn't a new year's resolution gym membership that is canceled come February. This is a forever process. This needs to be done safely (see this article), and the timing for you needs to be appropriate (this is different for everyone).
At Quick Fit Indiana, our Mission Statement is: Live Better Longer, by Being Stronger! This is what we strive to deliver to our clients day to day. It's a journey and process.
You can check us out at www.quickfitindiana.com. Connect with us and let's talk about the other pieces that can be plugged into living a longer and better life.
