Aging is inevitable: why you need more movement and less medicine

I've been a trainer now for ten years and have had the opportunity and pleasure to train dozens of older clients (among all the ages). My background, before I even delved into training, revolved around the elderly as I worked (for three years) as a program coordinator for a seniors outreach centre and had years of prior experience doing internships at both long term care and retirement facilities. My BA in Gerontology with a specialized diploma as a program coordinator suited me very well as I absolutely loved managing the outreach centre from top to bottom. It got to a point though where my passion for the elderly started to include going to the gym and becoming a full fledged gym rat. My own personal training addiction grew its wings and expanded into becoming a certified personal trainer, then more certifications came along to specialize in training the elderly, self-myofascial release techniques, kickboxing, etc...

My journey has taken me from Toronto to Tel Aviv and now Los Angeles. It included many other learning opportunities, certifications, experiences, seminars... aka- GROWTH - educationally and personally. I have been fortunate to merge both my passions of training and working with the elderly, which brings me to the topic of this blog- aging and how it's handled. Now, I'm only in my early thirties, however, my experience training the elderly is vast, and what I've observed thus far is that the strongest predictor of longevity is FITNESS.

If we talk about anti-aging, the only true 'medication' is movement - being and remaining active is what successful and healthy aging is about. Active aging can help prevent and manage obesity, chronic conditions, build strength, improve balance, maintain memory and brain function, be social and probably the biggest one: remain independent! The goal, from what I've seen personally with my own grandparents and from what I see on a daily basis at work, is to live a full and active life - and that's the approach to take if you don't want to end up in a long term care facility with very little quality of life. To secure that position, it is in the younger years when you need to start building that active foundation.

For successful aging to be become an accepted norm, there must be a change in the societal views on aging though: just because you may be in your 60's or 70's, it's never too late to become more active. There is an abundance of research to support that becoming physically active at an older age is extremely beneficial for both your cognitive and physical health. Unfortunately, for some 'youngsters', the idea of healthy aging is less relatable and seems less applicable to them- and that's where the thinking is flawed. Sure anyone can start training at any age, but the younger the better as exercise is both the best defence and offence to aging.

There's a misnomer that active aging is about 'holding onto your youth' - I disagree - it's about being able to maximize the opportunities that come with aging and maintaining independence: akin to saving for your retirement, and the BEST saving you can do, is to hold onto (or build from scratch) your physical STRENGTH. Exercise is really the closest thing that exists, and that actually works, to maintain that 'fountain of youth' that everyone speaks of.

Scientifically speaking, there is a very common health problem that occurs as you age - it involves losing muscle mass and it's called sarcopenia. You can't hide from it and will sneak up on you in ways you won't expect - like losing balance causing serious falls leading to debilitating and often fatal injuries. Of course, there is a very large degree of variability among individuals as the average loss of muscle strength declines ~30% from the ages of 50-70, and even more after 80 years (www.sarcopenia.com). However, one fact remains the same - the stronger your muscles, bones and joints are, the more resilient your body is to withstand and recover from falls.

If we talk about the aches and pains that are more prone to people with a sedentary lifestyle, imagine what will come as you age. I see it on a daily basis with my younger clients who sit at a desk all day to those older clients who are retired now and are paying for all the lost time they didn't include any training/activity in their younger years. I can't emphasize it enough how crucial it is to develop a strong foundation of strength in your 20's, 30's and 40's. I'm talking about lifting weights - not everyone will be using barbells, kettlebells or even dumbbells, but everyone should know how to squat, hip hinge, push, pull and rotate with good form.

It's so easy for us to go to the doctor to get drugs to numb the pain, but it's not a long term solution. It's easy to look for the quick answers - Gd knows, we want the quick solutions! But, unfortunately, it's short lived and often times, one drug leads to another, the side effects of this pill and its interaction with another pill etc etc... it's a big drug concoction of a mess. When you strip away all the foreign substances you take to cover the aches and pains, and look at the deeper meaning for why the body isn't working the way it should, if I had to guess, I would say a lot of is due to the person's overall lifestyle, including their diet and activity level. I am not a doctor and know that what I'm saying is not accurate for everybody, but if you look at the GENERAL population, it holds true.

Some statistics from WebMD.com and the American Heart Association:

- when you strength train, you lower your type II diabetes risk- this benefit increases the more you strength train each week

- strength training for 2.5 hours/week lowers your risk of diabetes by 34% as opposed to staying sedentary

- strength training makes your heart stronger- improves blood circulation - this strengthens your ability to resist heart disease

- after contracting heart disease, strength training can help reverse the symptoms

When your heart is weak, it's more prone to disease - and this holds true to any one of your organs, and all of your body parts. Strength training makes your heart pump faster, forcing oxygenated blood through your body to help improve muscle growth - in this way, strength training leads to supreme heart health and muscle growth - a recipe for a healthy body.

I have a multitude of success stories from my older clients who came to me with the typical lower back pain, knee pain, kyphosis, weak core muscles - just name it - they are all common problems with a very simple solution - STRENGTHEN all the movement patterns that are applicable to your daily life so you can remain strong in your activities of daily living!

It's not rocket science. Of course, every individual has specific needs and requirements to achieve those goals - but the element of strength training is the common thread - and yes, strength training also involves just using your body weight as a starting point. It doesn't matter what you've done, or haven't done- there's always a place to start and there's never really a finish line. It's putting in constant work and progress that will lead to results. Being consistent is key because if you want to keep moving, you have to keep moving.

Let me leave you with this last thought to ponder:

Consider your current lifestyle - are you active enough now to benefit your long-term health and keep your body fit for later in life?