Normal Aging & Doing Hard Things

Weekly Resource Roundup

Normal Aging or De-conditioned?

Perhaps what’s been labeled as “normal aging” is actually a de-conditioned body. Frailty, weakness, slow metabolism, low level of cardiovascular fitness, and brittle bones are the results of a de-conditioned body, but not inherent to all older bodies. Older age makes us more prone to these ailments but physical activity can combat them all. The skeletal muscle and cardiovascular output of older, lifelong exercisers are comparable to a healthy, exercising younger people and far superior to a non-exerciser of the same age.  Staying physically active is within our control and allows us to dramatically slow the physiological decline that’s considered “normal aging.”  This Instagram post gives a quick summary of a study showing the positive impact lifelong exercising has on skeletal muscle and cardiovascular output.

Do Hard Things

Michael Easter’s book “The Comfort Crisis” highlights the price we pay living in a world of comfort and convenience. We no longer experience uncomfortable things like hunger, cold, or boredom. The lack of struggles and challenges has made us less resilient. Doing hard things reminds us of our full potential.  In today’s age, we must make an effort to find ways to be uncomfortable and challenge ourselves. Physical training should be challenging for our bodies so can get stronger and increase our endurance. We can do small hard things regularly such as fasting, going out in the cold, or walking instead of taking the car. If we constantly seek the easy, comfortable way, the long-term impact is being a fragile human. Michael Ester writes “Confronting risk, fear or danger produces optimal stress and discomfort, which in turn promotes outcomes such as improved self-esteem, character building, and psychological resilience.” 

Movement to Try

Turkish Get Ups is a full-body movement that works on strength, stability, balance, and coordination. Master the movement first by balancing a shoe on your fist. It’s highly recommended that a trainer evaluates your form before adding any weight to the movement. 

Worth Reading

Coach Joe Fiel writes about the importance of “wearing out” and not “rusting out” as we age. He provides a  recap of the research on the positive impact of physical training on the body and the importance of doing high-intensity training as we get older.