From Amanda's very early writing (1990s to early 2000s), shared as it was originally written.
Muscle strength and longevity
Recently, I read a book by Deepak Chopra (an endocrinologist, student of quantum physics and professor of Ayuvedic medicine) called "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind". It's a very interesting book and well worth reading and one particular point I found fascinating.
It would appear that reseaarch is showing that one of the most important factors in increasing life spans of we ordinary old mortals is muscle strength.
Somehow there is a link between muscle strength and long lives - so I have made a decision. When I am 45 I am into the gym pumping iron! Or going to Iyengar yoga 4 times a week. Or both. My body is going to be like steel!
It's interesting because most people believe that as we grow older we should curb our activity levels, do more gentle exercise and generally slow down. Well, yes ..and no! We have to be sensible and if we are 60 and done little exercise for 30 years then yes we have to work carefully. But no one said don't work at all! Why should we ignore our bodies just because we grow older.
Guess why so many people are 'fragile' and 'brittle' and prone to falluing over when they are older? Because they don't do anything to develop muscle tone or any exercise on a regular basis. They just wizen up, wither away and fall over.
Exercise and it's importance has been stuffed down everyone's throat! The only way a person in our society could not realize that exercise is crucial for every aspect of our wellbeing and body functioning is if they had been in a coma for 30 years. Yet we have never really emphasised it's importance for 'oldies'.
Nursing homes should have exercise programs and classes for those who can moce and modified versions for those who are bedridden.
Just because someone is old doesn't mean their bodies can't be strengthened. They still have the same muscle fibres and physiology as young people - they may have a few more complications in other body systems - but usually thier muscles are just weak. So they become 'tottery' and fall over and break bones.
In situations where there is mental impairment we must be very careful but the results of normalising the body's metabolism and developing muscle tone and strength and possibly cardiovascular fitness may well improve mental processing. I know when I was at University studying psychology we learned a lot of useless information like kittens who grow up in environments with vertical lines couldn't see horizontal lines as adult cats. This has as you can imagine been a guiding light for my adult life and impacted on many of my life choices!
However, we did learn about a study of fairly decrepit older folks who were brought in to ouur Uni and given a 'training program' of mind games. The purpose of the experiment was to literally exercise their minds to stop the atrophy (scientific word meaning wasting away, shrinkage) associated with disuse.
The bodymind - our bodies and minds - literally waste away when we do not use them regularly. It is essential that we start encouraging 'oldies' to take up some form of exercise and muscle building. Who knows - we may have to develop a new range of gym gear; maybe we could keep our grandparents and parents out of nursing homes; or at least maintain their sense of independance; take away some of the fear they have because they do feel so frail. Please, please find a way to help and encourage your old friends and family to start working out.
If you're 45 and over and reading this, decide to do something about it yourself. Find out about circut training. Or Iyengar yoga. Or learn about how to strengthen muscles and start a program for yourself.
Make sure they - or you - are medically checked out first. If you / they are riddled with arthritis, it's even more important to exercise - just do it more gradually and gently - take time to build up to the level you want. If there are heart problems, follow doctors instructions to build up tone, strength and fitness.
I am adding flexibilty as a necessary component to this muscle strengthening program. We stiffen up as we use the joints in our body less and less. Doesn't matter what age we are - we will seize up and rust out if we stop moving our joints through full ranges of movement.That's why I have suggested yoga - it does both. Billy Graham - the New Zealand ex boxer and fantastic conference speaker has another secret. Skipping. I tried it and boy! does it make you work! Billy's body is like steel - I have felt his biceps and triceps - and honestly, they are like concrete. He assures me that skipping also firms up your buttocks and if his derriere are anything like his arms - I'm a convert to skipping.
He makes it look so easy and he whirls his uniquely designed skipping rope at a speed where I can't even see the rope or begin to imagine how his feet go under it! More on skipping another week - just note that skipping is a great way to strengthen most of the muscles in the body. Be wary of the type of skipping rope you buy - it may put you off. There is a special one available that Billy designed and it is better than the others I have tried.
So, skip, circuit train, pump iron, work out, buy a home gym - I don't care what you do but do something that keeps your muscles strong as you grow older and if you're already older, then start out gently and build up. Become a supergranny or supergrandad! Bulge out of your clothes! You'll soon feel so good , you'll be jumping out of telephone boxes!
