Fun of Aging : Health and Fitness Tips

If you've read the weather forecast for rain today, in all likelihood, you will not leave your home without an umbrella.

A.  What is Aging?

i.  On September 30, 2023 a veteran athlete (b. March 15, 1940) boards a plane to participate in the Masters Athletic Meet. On the same day a cardiac patient, born on the same date and year, is transported in a wheelchair for his routine medical check-up. 

Both of them are 83 year old. This is their 'chronological age'.

However, when you examine their biological status, i.e., their cardiac health, strength of  bones and muscles, cardiovascular capacity, etc., the veteran athlete might be comparable to a normal 60 year old and the cardiac patient in wheelchair to a normal 95 year old. 

This is their respective 'biological age'.

ii.  When we talk about aging, we mean biological aging. Aging is thus a study of progressive changes (let's not call it deterioration - that will help you to remain upbeat about your coming years) in our physiological functions.

iii.  " Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." (Tolstoy,  Anna Karenina). This truth is  applicable to our aging process too. Each individual of approximately 8.0 billion people on the earth will age in his own way!

iv.  In terms of  physical strength and biological functions humans peak in their mid-20s to early 30s. In terms of their stupidity also many of them peak during the same period (this is clearly evident from the choice of their career and partners). 

B.  Funny Things That Happen As You Age

For example -

 -  In some men, hair disappears from their scalp and appears from their ears!

-  In some women, sweetness of their voice gives way to the hoarseness of authority (sometimes the person on the other end of the call is confused whether he is talking to your wife or you!).

-  You start losing your teeth and friends one by one...

-  You have difficulty in sleeping in your bed but enjoy dozing off for hours while watching TV!

-  You can't stand properly, yet you want to take a stand!

-  You start punching additional holes in your belt till you reach the end of it.

-  Your start withdrawing more from your bone bank account and depositing less into it.

-  Your thermoregulation declines making you more susceptible to cold weather and cold treatment.

-  Your arteries and ideas become stiffer increasing the chance of high blood pressure.

-  Your vision deteriorates. When you compliment your wife on her new looks, instead of thanking you, she fixes your appointment with an ophthalmologist!

-  When you start losing interest in life, your wife takes you to a counselor. When you start taking interest in life, she insists on checking your WhatsApp chats!

-  Your immune system weakens. You are more vulnerable to be affected by infections and insults.

-  Your facial shape changes. Gravity pulls your facial muscles and confidence level down. 

-  Your memory becomes erratic. When you reach home after having a sumptuous meal in your favorite restaurant, you forget about the food and remember the waitress...

-  You start seeking the company of the young for motivation in life; the young start avoiding your company - for the same reason.

C.  Factors Accelerating the Process of Aging  

. Stress

. Sedentary lifestyle

. Lack of exercise

. Poor diet

. Too much or too little exposure to sun

. Smoking

. Too much consumption of alcohol 

. Poor sleep

. Loneliness

. No reading

. No social relevance

D.  Tips for Fitness

I. Exercise

i.  One can benefit from exercise at any age. Design an exercise program for yourself which incorporates all major components of fitness, viz., strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance. 

While doing strength training, upper body, lower body and core (abdominal and lower back muscles) should be emphasized.

Walking is not enough. You must incorporate  strength training in your exercise routine. You can combine both in a single fitness session too, e.g., while walking, after every 100 meters of walk you can do 10-20 squats and push-ups. Strong muscles and agility will protect you against those notorious bathroom falls and fractures. 

ii.  As you age, your warm-up session may take longer time. Beginning of perspiration is a good indication of warm-up. Undertaking strenuous exercise without sufficient warm-up may cause undue pressure on your cardiovascular system and injury to your joints or muscles. 

Similarly, after the exercise is over, spend sufficient time  in cooling down by slowing down and performing gentle stretching for faster recovery.

iii.  To avoid the chance of injury, perform strength training with lighter weights or do free hand body weight exercises. Some studies have found that doing maximum repetitions till total muscle failure also builds strong muscles.

iv.  Follow the basic principle of exercise, viz., progressive overload, for maximum benefit.  Increase the intensity and volume of exercise gradually. ( Intensity in strength training is measured by the weight, i.e., low  intensity means lighter weight, high intensity means heavier weight. 

Similarly, intensity in endurance training is measured by the heart rate, i.e., low  intensity means lower heart rate  and high  intensity means higher heart rate. 

Volume in strength training is measured by the number of repetitions of a particular exercise. Volume in endurance training is measured by its duration.)  Avoid 'too much too soon approach' for an injury-free training.

v.  Be patient. Compared to the young, your gains in strength and endurance might take a little longer time. Also, don't compete with others. You may end up with physical and emotional injuries! 

Try to learn about your own body. Everyone is genetically (and environmentally) uniquely built. Focus on your own body.

vi.  Avoid overtraining. Persistent joint or muscular pain, lack of enthusiasm for workout, altered resting heart rate, frequent cold-like symptoms, decreased appetite, sleep disorders, lack of concentration, irritability, altered blood pressure, chronic fatigue are a few important symptoms of overtraining.

vii. With age your maximum heart rate (MHR) also declines. (MHR=220-your age.) MHR is the maximum safe limit of your heart rate for any exercise intensity. If your age is 60, your MHR will be 220-60=160. During exercise your heart rate should be well below 160 beats/minute.

vii.  It's very important that you consult your doctor before embarking on an exercise program. Your doctor may advise you about the type, intensity and volume of the exercises based upon your present medical condition. 

II.  Diet

Don't go for fancy diet being propagated by  social media every now and then. Use your common sense and amend the diet you have been traditionally taking for years. 

I cannot understand why a rice-eater should convert into a wheat bread-eater, and vice versa. Half of the world population is thriving on rice! A  little adjustment in your diet can work wonders for you .

 As you age, following diet considerations become important -

i.  With age, your digestion, extraction of nutrition from food and its absorption in your body slows down. It is, therefore, very important that you eat only as much as you can digest. 

Eating more than what you can digest will do more harm than good to you. This is such a simple lesson we can learn even from the animals around us!

ii.  Remember only one mantra regarding the quantity of your food - " More work, more food; less work, less food." Also, despite the same amount of work being done, e.g., by a 60 year old man, when he was 30, the mantra will be -  "Higher the age, lesser the food". This is because due to his lower Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) his total caloric requirement will be less at the age of 60.

iii.  If you have to reduce your total calories intake, consult your nutritionist. Probably, she will advise you to cut down the carbs and fats in your diet while ensuring sufficient quantity of protein. Similarly, ensure sufficient quantity of vitamin D and calcium for your bone's health and vitamin C for overall immunity and absorption of iron. 

III. Other Issues

(a) Sleep

i.  During sleep our body repairs itself. Lack of adequate sleep can increase the risk of many diseases like heart disease, diabetes, depression, etc. 

However, you should not lose your sleep over number of hours you should sleep. The best criterion of a good sleep is that it should be deep and rejuvenating, irrespective of its duration. 

ii.  Light stomach, light conversation, light music, light reading, light heart contribute to a good sleep.

iii.  A regular bed time is a good habit. However, if you cannot sleep on some occasion, go and do some work till you feel sleepy.

(b)  Stress

i.  As long as you are alive, there will be stress. " In a day, when you don't come across any problems - you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path." -  Swami Vivekananda

ii.  The best way to address your stress is to take action with courage and confidence. Unless you take action to resolve the important issues of the day, no amount of  exercising, doing yoga, eating healthy food, listening to music, reading good literature, walking in nature, laughing in the laughter club  will do you much good. These are only superficial quick fixes.

(c) Maintenance of the Machinery

Despite all our healthy habits, our genes or some other environmental factors may cause some undesirable development in our body.

It's advisable for the aging persons to undergo an annual medical check-up for timely detection and treatment of health issues.

(d)  Hydration

Studies have found that as you age, your thirst signals also grow weaker. This means that your body might be needing hydration but you do not feel thirsty. 

Dehydration may lead to several health related complications affecting your kidneys, cognitive functions, etc. Therefore, it's advised that you should drink sufficient water even if you do not feel thirsty. 

Normally, one of the most reliable indicators of hydration is the color of your urine, i.e., if it's pale yellow, you are well hydrated. (Sometimes certain food items, medications or health issues may also affect the color of your urine.) 

E. Finally

 A Harvard study, conducted for more than 75 years (starting from 1938),  on what contributed to a healthy and happy living, found that happy relationships had a very deep impact on the health and longevity of the subjects of the study. 

Robert Waldinger, the  fourth director of the study, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,  says that loneliness kills. It's as powerful as smoking or alcoholism. He further says that it was found in the study that those who had happy relationships with their family, friends and community lived a healthier and longer life.

Thus the conclusion is - Be strong and help others! Learn skills that meaningfully connect you to your family, friends and community. Grow big! Don't be a bonsai, fragile and confined to a narrow existence, depending upon others' mercy for your survival. Instead, grow into a majestic banyan tree whose sprawling branches are shelter for hundreds of birds...

Medical disclaimer - The blog content is provided for general educational purpose only. It does not substitute professional medical advice. Reader is advised to consult his doctor before starting any fitness program to avoid any health risks.

Shyam Fitness Fundamentals 

Website: www. fitness-fundamentals.com

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E-mail: shyamfitnessfundamentals@gmail.com