Are You Too Old to Pump Iron? by J. Bowler

Are You Too Old to Pump Iron?

By: Jean Bowler

http://www.ageless-beauty.com

Are you too old for weight lifting? Will weight lifting help

you stay and look younger? The answer to the first question is

no and to the second is a resounding yes. Weight lifting will

help both men and women stay fit and supple and might even help

you look younger. And, no matter what your age, you’re not too

old to start.

Dr.Walter Bortz, in The Journal of the American Medical

Association, 1982, stated that a number of the physical

changes we undergo as we age, such as loss of muscle tone,

organ deterioration, and osteoporosis are “indistinguishable

whether caused by age or inactivity.” He believed that exercise

could delay many of the diseases associated with aging, adding

“at least a portion of the changes commonly attributed to aging

are in reality caused by disuse and, as such, subject to

correction”.

As we age, we lose bone density and muscle mass. We get stiff

and our joints creak. Instead of using our body, we “rest” it

even more, starting a very dangerous downward spiral. The

synovial fluid dries up, the tendons become brittle, the sinews

grow weak. It hurts to move, so we don’t.

More recently Dr Henry Lodge and Chris Cowley published a new

book on this theme, "Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like

50 Until You're 80 and Beyond". The premise of this book is that

weight lifting will help reverse the loss of both bone density

and muscle mass that begins to take place as we get older. And

they’re not talking about light weights, but rather big heavy

weights.

In July 1983, Terry Todd wrote in Sports Illustrated that “Anyone

who has spent much time in what is sometimes called the "Iron Game"

has, of course, seen weight trainers over 40 whose physiques were…

surprisingly youthful. Apparently there is something about the act

of regularly stressing your body with heavy exercise that gives it

the wherewithal to resist the visual manifestations of advancing

age…research in this area suggests that men and women of middle age

will respond to systemic progressive resistance with weights by

becoming more powerful and more flexible, with more endurance and

less fat.”

In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control reported that strength

training "can be very powerful in reducing the signs and symptoms of

numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them:arthritis,

diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and depression."

Strength training will also increase your flexibility and balance,

which decreases the likelihood and severity of falls. One study in

New Zealand in women 80 years of age and older showed a 40% reduction

in falls with simple strength and balance training.

I don’t agree that we need to undertake heavy weight training to

Go to Page 2

BIO:

Ms Bowler has taught ballet, gymnatics and aerobics and has been a personal coach.

She is very interested in antiaging research.

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