One of the greatest predictors of aging well is physical health, and one of the greatest predictors of physical health is staying fit. You can’t choose not to age but you can choose to age actively.
A commitment to active aging doesn’t mean an extreme regime of calorie slashing and body smashing. It means finding time in your schedule to accommodate healthy choices – a manageable mix of strength, cardiovascular and flexibility exercise partnered with a nutrient-rich diet. When you’re younger your fitness is often about vanity and performance, driven by aesthetics and ego. Active aging is less about how your body looks and more about how it functions.
There are many crossroads where people choose to take the path of active aging. Often people join the gym around age 40 when they become frustrated with their growing collection of niggles and ailments. Strength and endurance naturally decline, not improve, particularly if you have a sedentary job. People are often moved to change because they want to be able to take part in normal daily activities such as playing with kids.
If failing functionality doesn’t motivate a person to exercise, often the threat of immobility does. Bones and muscles lose condition as you age, making you vulnerable to sprains, breaks and degenerative conditions. Injuries and immobility are often the motivator for action. Arriving at the gym accompanied by your physio isn’t the optimal entrance but at least it can get you in the door.
People often join the gym because their doctor has warned them about impending catastrophe such as a heart attack or Type 2 diabetes. Many people have started taking their health more seriously due to the pandemic – this is not a great time to be needing hospital treatment. It’s up to you when you make the commitment to active aging. Some people act at the point of minor weight gain, others wait until they have a serious medical condition. Medical science has evolved to the point where we can live much longer than previous generations. But pills and procedures are better at improving the length of your life than the quality of it.
The reason most people give for not exercising regularly is their family and work commitments; it’s difficult to find time in your schedule when people rely on you. However, these are the very people you’d be letting down if you didn’t have your health. Taking the time to exercise on your own terms reduces the risk that you’ll be out of control of your circumstances later.
Once you’ve made the commitment to regular exercise you can enjoy a variety of benefits beyond being able to participate in your own life. Appropriate physical activity can help with sleep, stress management, appetite, cognitive function and emotional resilience. It’s no coincidence that older people who maintain physical fitness tend to be more positive and connected within their communities.
Aging affects everyone differently but it seems to be a lot kinder to those who keep their health and independence. You may not feel young but today you are the youngest you’ll ever be. Physical fitness gives you the best possible chance of vitality, independence and great quality of life.