Age is no limit!
People age. It’s a fact of life! But what does that mean and how should it affect what we do? Not everyone is going to be extremely active as they get older but there are benefits to any activity and you would be surprised at what can be accomplished both in terms of health benefits and personal goals. For example, there is a great article in the Physician and Sportsmedicine that looks specifically at differences in muscle in a 40 year old tri-athlete, a 74 year old sedentary person and a 74 year old tri-athlete. The differences are obvious to anyone who looks! The second article has imaging pictures of each individual’s legs.
Specifically you can see in the triathlon article that the 40 year old and the 74 year old competitors have similar muscle mass.
40 year old tri-athlete
74 year old sedentary man
74 year old tri-athlete
Another good example is a man by the name of Joe Stockinger who, weighing 74 kg and being 82 years old , was lifting a combined total of over a thousand pounds (454 kg) for the 3 lifts in his powerlifting competition.
There are many more examples of individuals who have continued to participate well past the time that many would have had them retire. All of us can benefit from their examples.. that famous old saying is still true today ”If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!”
You don’t have to be a high level competitor to receive the benefits of exercise which can include fat loss, improved muscle tone, better cardio-vascular health, improved bone density and just being able to comfortably enjoy your life!! Find something that you can love to do whether it be dancing, running, swimming, drumming or any other type of activity that feels good to you! If you are concerned then get a physiotherapist or your medical doctor to check you over to make sure that you feel safe in increasing your activity level. Sometimes this can provide the peace of mind you need to feel confident in getting on with being you!
See you on the pitch!! ;’ )
Ross