Better Late than Never

For the great majority of people, fitness cannot be achieved without exercise. Although exercise is beneficial to every one of all ages, it is particularly vital to those who are fifty and over. The young body has a natural resistance to the consequences of poor fitness. But for seniors that resistance is not nearly so resilient. Breaking a hip at thirty can have life-changing consequences, breaking it at 60 can have death-threatening consequences.

Studies have shown the decline in muscle mass for adults over 50 is about 1.5% a year. The severe loss of muscle mass is called sarcopenia and it is a strong predicator for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is an analogous condition of a severe loss of bone mass. The declines in muscle mass correlates with the loss of bone mass. The logic is self-evident: if you can prevent the loss of muscle mass, then you can prevent the loss of bone mass.

The good news for seniors is that exercise can yield positive results regardless of the age of the individual. Study after study show that age is no barrier to developing fitness. One study found that even 90 year-olds recorded significant gains in strength in a six month training program. Exercise retards aging for any age, but starting early can help avoid conditions that limit exercise options later in life. Aerobic exercise can lower the risk of heart disease, but once the heart disease has developed; there are real limits to reversing its effects. High resistance exercise training (HRET) can lower the risk of osteoporosis, but once osteoporosis has set in, resistance exercise can be severely limited. The lesson here is that exercise is beneficial at any age, but the earlier an individual adopts a fitness program, the greater chance he or she can realize the maximum benefits of exercise.