subject: How Do You Want The Aging Process To Affect You? [print this page] It is a sad state of affairs that we are programmed from a young age that adults should 'slow down' and 'take it easy' as they get older. Once we get past our 30's we practice at becoming 'old' as we believe this is what society expects from us.
We become less active often giving up favorite sports and activities that we have enjoyed in our younger years. We start moving slower, taking smaller steps along with starting to think 'old thoughts' and these thoughts lead to 'old people' behavior. We see others our age start to slow down and we believe this is just a normal part of the aging process so we slow down as well. This causes us also to lose our strength and physical function, to deteriorate, decay and eventually fall apart.
The human body is designed to be active - very active and strong and when it is not used as it was meant to be it will waste away into a frail, weak, sick shell. The old 'use it or lose it' scenario - nothing to do with the number of years gone past.
But listen up. We do not have to go down the road to the nursing home and a Zimmer frame. We do not have to lose our strength, energy and watch our life-force be siphoned from us. We do not have to accept and succumb to illness and disease. We do not have to experience mental and emotional decline. We do have to become older but we do not have to 'get old'.
There is one simple thing we can do to prevent much of this and that is to keep our muscular system healthy so all of our body's systems including our immune system stay strong as well. But this does not happen on its own; you have to put a little time and effort into it each week in the form of a strength training program.
The negative attitude towards this type of exercise by older adults has changed over time as they are learning how they can benefit from this very old proven form of exercise as a way of them keeping their strength along with their health. The value of strength training exercise as one of the best preventative medicines available is now accepted and endorsed by health care professions world wide.
All it takes is just 2-3 sessions each week at your local gym or fitness center. A fitness professional can help you set up your program and show you how to do the exercises correctly. As muscle and bone strength increases they take up their support positions on the body reducing the overall strain energy that was being wasted trying to maintain an inefficient body is now freed up for you to use to enjoy a higher quality of life.
Do not allow your strength to decline as you get older as you then risk losing everything. Your health, mobility and your independence then everything else in your life, every possession, every relationship, then becomes irrelevant. But it is not going to happen to you as you now know what you need to do to sure your health span matches your long life span.
