7 habits that can help you age well – From Precision Nutrition

Over the next several weeks I will be sharing with you “7 habits that can help you age well” as outlined by Dr. John Berardi and Jennifer Broxterman:

Luckily, we now have research on the specific factors that can help you live a healthy, enjoyable, meaningful life, longer.

In a variety of large-scale population studies, these seven lifestyle habits are consistently correlated with lower disease rates, better mood and well-being, and increased longevity.

The earlier you start, the better, but these habits can make a difference no matter your current age.

Practice these habits consistently, and transform the experience of aging.

1. Keep moving.

For relatively little cost or time (about 30 minutes a day), exercise is one of the most impactful things we can do for our health.

As we age, our metabolism declines and our bodies don’t use nutrients as well.

Exercise signals the body to:

• use nutrients and balance blood sugar;
• build and repair bone and muscle tissue; and
• circulate blood, nutrients, and oxygen, including to the brain.

Regular exercise is correlated with lower rates of:

• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity
• Arthritis and bone fractures
• Anxiety and depression
• Fatigue
• Overall mortality

Additionally, exercise improves mood and well-being. This is especially true if exercise is social, like walking with a friend or attending group classes.

Common challenges seniors face with moving

When muscles aren’t used, they atrophy: Moving around becomes harder, making it more likely that a person will continue being sedentary.

Also, embarking on an exercise program might sound intimidating and inaccessible: Whether due to pain, injury, illness, or just a history of being sedentary, it may be difficult or scary to begin an activity program.

Action steps that can help

• Start with gentle activities. This reduces the risk of injury or heart attack. Opt for low impact activities, such as swimming, recumbent biking, or walking on grass or dirt rather than pavement. Even when mobility is reduced or compromised, exercise can be made accessible and can benefit health tremendously.

• Find an activity that feels fun. And one that can be done consistently. This can include: gardening or yard work, walking, swimming, climbing stairs, yoga, tai chi, cleaning the house, or doing light weight circuits.

• Keep things in perspective. Remember that “moderate to vigorous” is a subjective measure. What a 25-year-old personal trainer defines as “moderate to vigorous” may be very different from how an 85-year-old beginner exerciser defines it. The right level of activity should leave the exerciser feeling out of breath, but still able to hold a conversation.

• Ease into exercise. About 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day is ideal, but benefits appear after only 10 minutes of movement per day! A good program will incorporate some endurance training (like walking fast), some weight bearing activities (like doing bicep curls with soup cans), and some balance training (like practicing standing on one foot, or doing yoga).

 

Fit for Life Class – Wednesday, September 5, 2018

 

Strength Focus

A) Reverse Deficit Lunge – 3 x 10 reps each leg

B) Standing Banded External Rotation Row – 3 x 15 reps

Review Push Technique and Box Jump Progressions

Conditioning Workout

3 rounds, resting as needed

20 Kettlebell Swings
15 Step-ups or Box jumps
10 Push Press