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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Fitness / Using Fitness to Turn Back the Clock

Using Fitness to Turn Back the Clock

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

By Fitness Editor Paula Jager, CSCS

“Youth is wasted on the young.” I first heard that expression my freshman year of college.

I didn’t pay much attention to the meaning. In retrospect, the meaning is now quite clear. . .

When you are young you have the potential to be at your physical peak, the best health you will ever have and your mind is sharp and clear.  On the other hand, you may lack patience, understanding and wisdom which results in a lot of wasted efforts and mistakes.

Someone who’s lived and learned knows what to do with all that experience but the body doesn’t have quite the same capabilities as in decades past.

Not optimal for sure, but that’s the way it’s been for centuries and the way it will remain. Our best bet is to age intelligently with the right training and nutrition which will allow us the best functionality, health and performance as we reach our mature years.

Are there any advantages to aging when it comes to fitness? A few, thank goodness!

Seasoned adults have survived and dealt with challenges and adversities that would cripple a younger person. This develops a mental toughness and discipline over many years of life and makes up (to a degree) for the physical decrements that this same longevity brings about. This will enable us to better bring on the “pain” of training.

Does that mean we need to alter our training as we age?

Yes and no.

An overweight, deconditioned 20 year old would need to start out at a similar level or program as an overweight, deconditioned 50 year old. The younger one would most likely have less orthopedic/health concerns and would improve more quickly because of youth and the lack of years of cumulative self destructive habits and wear patterns.

But training modalities and intensities of the mature athlete are basically the same as the youthful athlete, believe it or not. The only difference is in the recovery; you can train as hard and as long just not as often.

Getting to the basics of the training some things are across the board. Young or mature if you haven’t exercised in awhile, develop a base level of conditioning with bodyweight exercises such as squats, push ups, pull-ups and dips through a full range of motion along with some type of cardiovascular activity such as running, biking, swimming or rowing.

Once that has been established you begin adding external weight.

Become well acquainted with the form and technique of the basic exercises such as squats (back, front, overhead), oh lifts (press, push press and push jerk), bench presses, deadlifts, bent over rows and high pulls. After at least 6 months of consistent training and proficiency in these lifts add in the Olympic lifts–the clean & jerk and the snatch. If unfamiliar with them hire a qualified strength & conditioning coach for instruction, they are technically complex in nature. The benefits are well worth the efforts if done correctly but a potential for injury if not. Perform these functional movements, vary the combinations and perform them with intensity in a progressively designed program. Add in some interval based cardio aka metabolic conditioning, make sure to spend time on
flexibility/mobility and you’re set.

How often? Good question; and that will depend upon your recovery. Listen to your body and take what you need. It’s not the same as it was in your 20’s and you must respect that.

Generally speaking 2-3 non consecutive days a week should be spent on strength training. This is both beneficial and taxing for an individual especially a mature individual. You need it now more than ever; you’re going to lose muscle mass, your hormone levels are going to decline and everything will go south without a sound strength program and even then you will only be able to control it to a degree.

Ladies: this is especially important for us; you will not grow large muscles and a beard if you lift more than 10 lbs. Keep your cardio brief and intense; more is not always better.

Put the brakes on aging: if at 40 or 50 something plus years of age you find yourself overweight, sedentary and pre-diabetic it’s time to lay off the doughnuts, get off the couch and do something or you’re going to get sicker, fatter and have a very poor quality of life.

It’s not going to get better until you make a change. On the other hand if you’ve worked out correctly and intensely with some degree of consistency and maintained decent nutritional habits then my advice is to keep on lifting heavy, throw in some occasional wind sprints every 7 to 10 days, enjoy your good health and live life to the fullest. Just make sure to take time for recovery which is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives us more time to enjoy other leisure activities in our well balanced lives.

“Youth is wasted on the young” but our efforts in fitness and nutrition can slow the aging process and lead to a far superior quality of life in our mature years topped off with the wisdom we’ve acquired. And in our minds we will remain–“Forever Young”.

About the Author

Paula Jager CSCS and Level 1 CrossFit and CF Nutrition Certified is the owner of CrossFit Jaguar.

Her exercise and nutrition programs yield life changing results

www.crossfitjaguar.com

[email protected]

 

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Category: Fitness
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (11)

  1. Margo

    Feb 14, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Thank you for the wonderful article. I’m 27 and have always been the athletic type. I will admit, I fell off the wagon once I started going to University and just started working out again 3-5 times a week 2 years ago. I feel great and I am getting stronger and more toned. My fiance and I want to start a family in the next year and I would like to continue to workout while pregnant. I hear so many mixed reviews about how much exercise is acceptable during pregnancy and was wondering if you could reccomend any books or websites where I could find some information regarding this. I feel that if I don’t exercise while pregnant, I will fall out of routine again and will have an ever harder time getting back into it. Thank you

    Reply
    • Paula

      Feb 15, 2013 at 6:48 am

      Try http://www.crossfitmom.com It is very important to get as fit as possible before getting pregnant. While pregnant you will “maintain” your fitness.

      Also, check out this article I wrote on Sarah’s blog a few weeks ago. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/pregnancy-and-postpartum-fitness-dos-and-donts/

  2. Elisabeth

    Feb 12, 2013 at 10:02 am

    Hi – question:
    You wrote, “You need it now more than ever; you’re going to lose muscle mass, your hormone levels are going to decline and everything will go south without a sound strength program and even then you will only be able to control it to a degree.”

    My questions is, I am 50, peri-menopausal and just starting to work out. I was an athlete for decades (except the last one…only spurts), and lifted weights for years. So, I start back now lifting weights (I am, fortunately, in very good shape)…what do you mean when you say “and even then you will only be able to control it to a degree”? I’d really appreciate it if you could give more detail on that comment.

    Many thanks!

    Reply
    • Paula

      Feb 13, 2013 at 2:32 pm

      Hi Elisabeth–what I meant by “and even then you will only be able to control it to a degree” was the aging process. No matter how well one eats and remains strong and fit we will all still age and their will be physical changes. My current goal is to age gracefully and minimize those changes to the best of my abilities and genetics.

  3. Fiona

    Feb 12, 2013 at 5:41 am

    Great article! I was also interested in who the “deadlifting granny” was in the picture so I Googled and found this:

    What an inspiration she is!! Can’t believe she’s 83!

    Reply
    • Paula

      Feb 13, 2013 at 2:33 pm

      Thanks for sharing the article! She certainly is an inspiration. . .

  4. Claudia

    Feb 11, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    Do you guys have Monday mania anymore? That was one if the reasons I found out about
    This wonderful website, please bring back Monday mania!!!

    Reply
  5. Sarah Beth

    Feb 11, 2013 at 2:09 pm

    I love the picture of the lady with the blue suit lifting the weight. 😉 And for any and all readers who think they are too old for exercise and still aren’t convinced even after reading Paula’s post I’d like to hold up my 70 year old mother as an example. She was sedentary until she retired. She joined a women’s gym and attends water aerobics about four days per week. Now she is off all her medications, does not have joint issues, and has good spirits and plenty of energy. When she can’t get to the gym it makes her restless and cloudy-headed. So find something which you enjoy and get started!

    Reply
    • Paula

      Feb 11, 2013 at 5:48 pm

      Your mother is a shining example of what the right exercise and nutrition can do for someone especially as they age!

  6. JC

    Feb 11, 2013 at 11:46 am

    Love your articles, HATE your Walmart ad!
    I only have iphone and view your email there. The “x” to remove the Walmart popup ad does NOT remove the ad to have more space to read your articles, but switches to an even more invasive and annoying ad! GEEZ! Can you do something about that or have any suggestions for my better viewing?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Paula

      Feb 11, 2013 at 5:46 pm

      Thanks JC! But those aren’t my Walmart ads. Maybe Sarah knows a way around that. . .

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