Experts warn that people need to do two types of exercise regularly to maintain their physical strength and performance well into their later years. It is estimated that after the age of 40, we begin to lose up to 5% of our strength each year.
Over time, this can have a devastating impact on the body, making us weak and dependent on outside help as we age. However, there are steps we can take to reduce this - and which we should start as soon as possible.
Andrew Budson, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, explained that as we age, many people experience two alarming changes. These are changes in strength and in coordination.
"Changes in strength, speed and endurance with age are associated with a decrease in muscle mass," he said. "Although between the ages of 20 and 40 there is not a large decrease in muscle, after the age of 40 there can be a decline of one to two percent per year in lean body mass and 1.5 to five percent per year in strength."
He warns that muscle fibers can become smaller in old age. If that happens, the fibers die.
Meanwhile, your coordination may change due to changes in the brain and nervous system.
"Multiple brain centers need to be coordinated so you can do everything from hitting a golf ball to steadily holding a coffee cup while walking across the room," Budson said.
"This means that the structure of the brain, the so-called white matter that connects different areas of the brain, is critical. Unfortunately, most people in our society over the age of 60 who eat a Western diet and don't move enough have small 'miniprocesses' (also called microvascular disease or small vessel disease) in their white matter," he said.
"Although strokes are so small that they are not noticed when they occur, they can disrupt connections between important brain coordination centers, such as the frontal lobe (which directs movements) and the cerebellum (which corrects those movements when necessary). In addition, impaired vision can affect coordination," the expert added.
He recommended specific types of exercises that help improve strength and coordination as we age.
"It turns out that one of the most important causes of declining strength and coordination as we age is simply decreased physical activity. There's a myth in our society that it's okay to do less exercise as you get older. The truth is just the opposite! As you get older, it becomes more important to exercise regularly - maybe even increase the amount of time you spend exercising to compensate for bodily changes in hormones and other factors you can't control," Budson said.
Two types of exercise you can try include aerobic exercise - which increases your heart rate, and exercises that help with strength, balance and flexibility. You should do them whether you're 18 or 88, he said.
"Participate in aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or aerobic classes for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week," the specialist said. "Participate in exercises that help strength, balance and flexibility, at least two hours a week, such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates and isometric weight lifting." | BGNES
