Exercise Helps Us Stay Young (uh, really?)

If you frequent this blog, you are most likely already an active individual.  Which means you are probably sold on the benefits of regular physical activity.  But it is always nice to see the press positively represent an active lifestyle.  The following piece highlights a recently published paper which touts the benefits of physical activity for elderly people.

Specifically, aerobic capacity is looked at as an indicator of functional longevity (or the ability to remain not only independent but able to "do the things you want to do" as you age).  And although it is nice to see that the author did indeed conclude a positive impact, I think we would see even more benefit if we cast an even larger net and looked at other factors of physical wellness such as functional strength, coordination and mobility.

In Circular Strength Training that axis of energy system - strength - coordination - mobility is represented in the ability to take your own bodyweight, and subsequently various implements of external resistance, through the 6 Degrees of Freedom (read more on this Lens).  At best, most movement prescribed by the conventional fitness industry is three dimensional, incorporating vertical, fore/aft and side to side movement (along with combinations thereof).  Rarely do we see the full incorporation of the other three degrees of freedom which are basically full-range bending or folding in the fore/aft plane, twisting side to side and rolling to the side.  The best way to visualize the convergence of all these 6 Degrees of Freedom is to imagine all the ways in which an airplane can maneuver while in flight (again, you can find a diagram of this on this Lens).

The best manifestation that has been produced thus far incorporating this principle is a program called FlowFit from Circular Strength Training.  Once you understand the basic formula of movement in 6 Degrees, you can translate that into an infinite number of bodyweight and weighted training programs.

I'm working now with a very cool 6 Degrees Sandbag routine right now.  Keep your eye on the blog as I will be posting it in the next few weeks.  Anyhow, I digress.  If you want to keep aging at bay, stay well by incorporating movement through the 6 Degrees in your daily activities and in your training.

Enjoy the article...

 

'Regular excercise can slow down ageing'

By Lucy Cockcroft

Last Updated: 1:42am BST 10/04/2008

Regular exercise can help slow down the effects of ageing by up to 12 years, a study claims.

People may also be able to retain the ability to live independently for far longer if they exercise throughout middle age and into retirement, it found.

Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, improves oxygen consumption, which in turn improves the body's ability to convert fat into fuel for muscles.

The volume of oxygen we are able to consume is reduced with age, and therefore to maintain good health and the appearance of youth, more aerobic exercise is required.

Research by scientists at the University of Toronto in Canada has shown that high-intensity exercise, taken regularly for more than a year, can make someone as fit as a sedentary person who is 12 years younger.

The results are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Studies have suggested that maximum aerobic power falls in men by up to half between the ages of 20 and 60.

Women begin to lose aerobic power aged around 35, with aerobic power again falling by up to half by the age of 60.

However, the researchers said that relatively high-intensity aerobic exercise over a relatively long period of time could boost aerobic power by up to 25 per cent.