Use it or Lose it!
What’s holding you back? Time? Money? Motivation? Boredom? There are many excuses that we give to avoid working out. We can even use the excuse of not being in shape to keep from exercising. But what about your health? Around the world, people’s health is declining due to a sedentary lifestyle and the popularity of fast food chains. And after years of avoiding exercise it can be hard to get the motivation to start. We get comfortable with where we are.
Most of us are familiar with the benefits of exercise which can be summarized by an overall improvement of our health. Exercise can improve blood pressure, cognitive ability, sleep, mood, energy, and much more! But what about the consequences of not exercising or maintaining a healthy lifestyle? First of all, when you reach the age of 30 you start to lose muscle mass. Your muscle mass can decrease anywhere from 3-8% each decade. And when you reach the age of 50 your bone mineral density starts to decline. With the loss of muscle mass and bone mineral density, you no longer are able to lift as much as you used to and your bones are more susceptible to breaking. And women who have gone through menopause are at a greater risk of losing bone mineral density. These are only a few examples of how our bodies start to decline with age.
Now how do we prevent or reduce our body’s decline with aging? You’ve got to use it or lose it! Exercise is not the answer people want, but it will help maintain your quality of life. And you don’t have to be a hard-core exercise fanatic who works out every day of the week. You just need to set a schedule for about three days a week and start where you are. Cardio/aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling, using the elliptical, etc. are great places to start moving. But don’t leave out weight training. Remember that your muscle mass and bone mineral density declines with age. Both of these are greatly improved and maintained by lifting weights. If you don’t know how, don’t be afraid to ask either a friend that you know who workouts consistently or even someone at a gym. Most people are more than happy to help others when it comes to exercising. And a plus to lifting weights is that as you build more muscles, you also start to burn more calories!
Think about where you want to be when you are older. Do you want to be able to move around without assistance, or to be able to carry your own groceries and put them in the cabinets? Do you want to be able to play with your grandkids? It’s not impossible. But you need to make a choice and follow through with it. Remember, use it or lose it!
Kristi McQueen earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology at Abilene Christian University and her Master’s of Science in Exercise Physiology at Midwestern State University. She leads the fitness program at The Refuge, and she offers personal fitness and training programs. For more information on fitness at The Refuge, please visit www.TheRefugeOlney.com