New discoveries on how to slow and even reverse aging.

The article on reversing aging, from experiments done on mice, sits in my inbox awaiting my attention.

Today I want to concentrate on the one on slowing aging.

The summary in Medical News Today put it this way:

“As a result of its proven ability to prevent and treat several chronic diseases at low cost, doctors have called exercise a drug-free “polypill” that can benefit nearly everyone.”

Now I’m sure this doesn’t really surprise you, or me. 

This is not to say that what you eat doesn’t matter. We intuitively know they go hand in hand. (Another topic for another time.) 

The article goes on to say that starting to exercise at any age can make a difference. 

Genetics plays a role in how long people live. But, all you need to do is look at the lifestyle of any 90+ year old you know and you will see your own future and your choices. 

I have the honor of having 4 such people in my life and 3 of the 4 are doing amazingly well. 

I will highlight my aunt & my uncle (both siblings of my mom) as 2 examples.

My Aunt Jeanie, caught the fitness bug back in the 60’s when Jack Lalane was on TV. By the time the 70’s came around, she had a gym membership that kept her fit most of her life. She will turn 93, if my calculations are correct, next month.

Though she no longer goes to the gym regularly, (knee replacements in her 80’s put a dampener on that,) she remains active. She still “works” (actually volunteers) several times a week at the performing arts center near her home. She also still lives independently.

Her older brother, my Uncle Irving, 18 months her senior, will turn 95 in June. Though he moved in with my cousin and his family a few years ago when his wife passed, he continued to work out at the gym and travel until Covid hit. He remains active and mentally fit as well.

Throughout their life, he and his wife continued playing tennis well into their 70’s. And although his wife has now passed, I have little doubt that it made a huge difference in her life as well. Normally a disease that strikes in the 45-55 year time span, she didn’t develop ALS until her late 70’s and almost made it to 80. 

On the other hand, a local friend who was inactive for much of her life and remained so suffers from extreme pain. Though she still has all her mental facilities, she has a life I would not wish on anyone. 

These people exemplify what the journals say and what we intuitively know. Those who remain active throughout life, for the most part, can bypass much of the pain and disability that appears to come with aging.

The article also explains that getting active even late in life can help build muscle and avoid falls and disability. 

So, what’s it going to be for you? To a large extent, the choice is yours.

The post How to Slow and Reverse Aging appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

What SHOULD We Be Doing?

You can broadly divide exercise into strength-building, stretching, and aerobic. Then there are areas of overlap: Flexibility exercises usually build strength and help with balance but can also be aerobic if done over a sustained period, for example. Similarly, Yoga can be more of a stretching exercise but can also help with strength, flexibility and balance. It’s obvious that this article will just begin to scratch the surface.

There are 3 important things to keep in mind:

1.  You should strive to eventually include strength-building, stretching and aerobics into your routine on a regular basis.
2. In order to make progress in any of those areas, you will need to do them an average of 3 or more times per week.
3. As we age, maintaining strength, balance & flexibility become more important.

So Where Should You Begin?

The easy answer is with something that isn’t too much of a struggle! Getting started with something you can do (and enjoy!) and increasing from there is more likely to keep you doing it rather than trying to do too much too soon, getting sore; or even worse; injured, and then quitting!

I like to suggest that the easiest way to begin is to start with something you like doing! Maybe it’s walking, hiking or bicycling. Maybe it’s basketball, soccer or tennis. In our area, it could even by kayaking, swimming or other water sports. Starting with something more recreational in nature does a couple of things: (1) gets you doing something you enjoy that may not even be a chore.  (2) Makes it easier to find an accountability partner!

So start by finding that accountability partner & setting up an agreeable schedule. Then add from there.

Some things to remember:

• It’s important to include warm-up time before & time for stretching & cool-down after. This will minimize soreness.
• Monitoring your progress will help keep you motivated. Some simple ways to monitor: total time, total distance, body measurements or weight measurements. Many of these you can do on your own or with simple phone apps. Ideally, chart your results so can see your progress over time.
• The body becomes accommodated to activity quickly. This means that once you’ve lost a certain amount of fat, for example, by doing a particular activity, you will probably need to (1) work out longer or harder or (2) switch to a different activity in order to lose more fat. Varying your activity will keep you progressing.
• As you get more fit, begin to add in additional types of exercise for more strength-building, aerobic capacity, flexibility, balance & other goals.
• Set goals that are specific & measurable and dependent on what you’re doing. For example: it may make more sense to set a goal based on a clothes size or a measurement rather than weight if you’re not obese since muscle can weigh more than fat. And CELEBRATE when you achieve your goals!
• Of course, you should check with me or your health care provider before beginning a fitness program.

Here’s a link to a simple 9 minute body-weight workout

The post Fitness & Physical Well-Being appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.