Are You Training to Get Old?
I have had the good fortune to work in some of the top health clubs in America and as a result have spoken with thousands of people about their exercising experiences.
Although I am happy to report that many of the people I speak with say they work out as a way to stay young, I must admit there are people out there who still don't get it.
Too often I hear people in health clubs mutter: -"I'm in my fifties now I have to start taking it easy...
" -"I should only use machines now because they are safer for people my age...
" -"I probably shouldn't do those types of exercises because I am getting older...
" -"I'm not sure if working out that hard is good for someone my age...
" -"The 'old bones' can't do what they used to...
" -"My energy levels won't allow me to do most exercises...
" This list goes on and on and so do the excuses.
The bottom line is if you change the way you exercise to accommodate your chronological age, your biological age will surely follow.
I actually had a client a few years ago tell me, "I'm turning fifty in a few months so we should probably change up my program to reflect that.
" I couldn't believe it! This was a guy in great shape and looked maybe 38 years old.
He was lean and had lowered his blood pressure to within a healthy enough range to discontinue his high blood pressure medication.
Now he wanted to give all that up because he was turning fifty? I don't think he realized that if you do slow down and stop doing the exercise that your body can do, you are giving your metabolism the green light to slow down.
It's important to keep in mind that our bodies only do what is required of them for survival.
If you tell your body that it must increase its lean body mass, bone density, and strength to accommodate the increased weight you are lifting, it will.
But on the flip side, if you decide to decrease your weights or exercise volume, you will notice a direct correlation with lower energy levels, a slower metabolism, less joint stabilization, and so on.
As long as you continue to lift weights without any joint pain, you should not change any of your workout patterns to reflect an increase in age.
There is no magic number to when you should start to slow down, especially since most studies confirm that moderate resistance training can decrease arthritis and other age related aches and pains.
Granted your energy levels, strength, and joints begin to wear down as you age, but for most people it is a tapering effect, not a drop off.
As a result your exercise program should reflect that to a certain extent.
However, that doesn't mean that you should change the exercises that you are doing and all of a sudden opt for an easy workout where you stay within your own little comfort zone.
The whole point of a workout at any age is to push your body a little further than it thinks it can go.
Remember if you only train to the point where you begin to fatigue and no further, you are only maintaining or losing what you already have.
Your body will adapt one way or another; you can either progress or regress.
It is important to realize that age is an arbitrary number that registers differently from one person to another in terms of appearance, health and wellness.
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you must slow down if you are getting older.
I assure you that if you do, you will regret it.
Keep doing just a little more than you think you can each day, and keep telling yourself that to feel young you must act young...
and that means staying active! Here are some quick tips for those over 40 to get started on:
Think of exercise as your own personal fountain of youth.
Drink from it daily and you will reap the rewards of enjoying a healthy quality of life.
Although I am happy to report that many of the people I speak with say they work out as a way to stay young, I must admit there are people out there who still don't get it.
Too often I hear people in health clubs mutter: -"I'm in my fifties now I have to start taking it easy...
" -"I should only use machines now because they are safer for people my age...
" -"I probably shouldn't do those types of exercises because I am getting older...
" -"I'm not sure if working out that hard is good for someone my age...
" -"The 'old bones' can't do what they used to...
" -"My energy levels won't allow me to do most exercises...
" This list goes on and on and so do the excuses.
The bottom line is if you change the way you exercise to accommodate your chronological age, your biological age will surely follow.
I actually had a client a few years ago tell me, "I'm turning fifty in a few months so we should probably change up my program to reflect that.
" I couldn't believe it! This was a guy in great shape and looked maybe 38 years old.
He was lean and had lowered his blood pressure to within a healthy enough range to discontinue his high blood pressure medication.
Now he wanted to give all that up because he was turning fifty? I don't think he realized that if you do slow down and stop doing the exercise that your body can do, you are giving your metabolism the green light to slow down.
It's important to keep in mind that our bodies only do what is required of them for survival.
If you tell your body that it must increase its lean body mass, bone density, and strength to accommodate the increased weight you are lifting, it will.
But on the flip side, if you decide to decrease your weights or exercise volume, you will notice a direct correlation with lower energy levels, a slower metabolism, less joint stabilization, and so on.
As long as you continue to lift weights without any joint pain, you should not change any of your workout patterns to reflect an increase in age.
There is no magic number to when you should start to slow down, especially since most studies confirm that moderate resistance training can decrease arthritis and other age related aches and pains.
Granted your energy levels, strength, and joints begin to wear down as you age, but for most people it is a tapering effect, not a drop off.
As a result your exercise program should reflect that to a certain extent.
However, that doesn't mean that you should change the exercises that you are doing and all of a sudden opt for an easy workout where you stay within your own little comfort zone.
The whole point of a workout at any age is to push your body a little further than it thinks it can go.
Remember if you only train to the point where you begin to fatigue and no further, you are only maintaining or losing what you already have.
Your body will adapt one way or another; you can either progress or regress.
It is important to realize that age is an arbitrary number that registers differently from one person to another in terms of appearance, health and wellness.
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you must slow down if you are getting older.
I assure you that if you do, you will regret it.
Keep doing just a little more than you think you can each day, and keep telling yourself that to feel young you must act young...
and that means staying active! Here are some quick tips for those over 40 to get started on:
- Keep plyometric work to a minimum (no more than 1x week - less than 80 reps per workout)
- Stay around the 10 rep range (this will ensure that you are increasing growth hormone and not doing any repetitive motion damage to your joints)
- Allow for a little longer recovery between sets (time the amount of rest needed to bring your heart down to within a healthy range and then aim to shorten that rest period in subsequent workouts)
- Keep your workouts under an hour (shorter time periods will allow for better quality workouts and more days per week)
- Accept that some days will be better than others (you may not always feel like your energy levels are high, or that your joints are in great shape, but you should make an effort to be active daily)
Think of exercise as your own personal fountain of youth.
Drink from it daily and you will reap the rewards of enjoying a healthy quality of life.