Start Now – No Matter What Your Age
Posted on April 15, 2009
“Research clearly demonstrates that maintenance of an active lifestyle into later years helps older adults retain a relatively high level of functional capacity. In addition, regular exercise offers significant protection against and rehabilitation from a variety of disabilities, diseases, and risk factors, particularly those related to cardiovascular health.”1
I’m 26. But when I am an “older adult” I definitely want to have a ”relatively high level of functional capacity.” Why? Because I don’t want to be stuck in a wheelchair or in an “old-folks home” and not be able to remember the names/faces of those I love because I didn’t take care of myself.
I know that any or all of the above could still happen no matter how well I try to take care of myself, but at least I feel I am giving myself a better chance of delaying the onset of diseases that could decrease my functional capacity
When I’m 60, 70, 80+ years old I want to be running around with the grandkids and great-grandkids.
If you’re not very active, you may want to consider starting today. Start small and be consistent. You’ll like how you feel.
- William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch, Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance, 6th ed (Baltimore: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2007): 879. [↩]
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You’re wise. It’s one thing to die early, but it seems worse to me to become debilitated for years with a disease you could have prevented.
@Dr. Hubbard
Thanks. I hope to do what I can to prevent things that I can.