Lift Weights, Grow Young

Recently I posted on Facebook about three very inspirational senior citizens who are breaking the rules when it comes to exercise. The very inspiring Dr. Charles Eugster a 95 year old sports person, the 79 year old Ernestine Shepherd, the world’s oldest female body builder and Constance Tillet, a 77 year old crosfitter have shown that it is never too late to start with a fitness routine and make some serious changes.

Dr. Eugster said, “I’m not chasing youthfulness. I’m chasing health. People have been brainwashed to think that after you’re 65, you’re finished.”

This is not a newsletter addressed to senior readers. This is a newsletter that is relevant to any one 25 and older. After 25 sarcopenia starts to happen to your body.

Sarco – What?

Sarcopenia.

What is Sarcopenia?

Sarcopenia is the process of losing skeletal muscle mass and strength. Your body starts favouring fat at the expense of muscle.

From about 25 years old, your body starts to lose muscle mass, which you will only start noticing when you turn 40. From 65 onwards this escalates. Ladies in particular will find that from 40 on-wards they may gain about 250 grams of fat per year.

In other words, you are getting old. You may feel that your body does not have the strength it used to have, you may not have the confidence to embark on a short run down the street because you are scared you might take a tumble. As you lose strength you may become more inactive, the less active you are, the more muscle you lose, the more muscle you lose your fatigue increases. This is a vicious, vicious cycle. You become more sedentary, the more you sit the more you open yourself up to chronic conditions.

Take back your muscle

The good news is, if these three inspiring people could do it, you can do it as well. What do all three of them have in common? Weight training. They are lifting regularly and they are lifting as heavy as they can.

They are working with what they have, developing the muscles that are left, becoming stronger than they were ten years ago; getting better as they are getting older!

If you are reading this newsletter and you have an ageing loved one, get them to lift weights. If you are not lifting weights, why not? Start lifting!

Whether you are 80 or 13, lifting weights is good for you.

Lifting weights transforms your body. You gain energy, you walk with an attitude that does not in-clude a shuffle. If you are older, you may notice that you are becoming more independent again.

If you are young and lifting, this will form a foundation of a strong retirement, one where you will be able to go travelling and keeping up with the grandkids. (I know you are still young and may not even be thinking about it, but trust me, investing in your health is an investment into your future.)

Go on, go lift something heavy! (But not too heavy)