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. 

  1. 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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Comments

  • http://www.magfamilydoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    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.

  • Blake Hagen

    @Dr. Hubbard

    Thanks. I hope to do what I can to prevent things that I can. :)