I absolutely believe in physical exercise, for all people, fat and thin. Exercise is vital to keep our systems going, but it's equally important to match the degree and level of physical exercise to what's feasible, reasonable, and sustainable.
One of my dear friends, the late Kara (Theatrmuse/Kara) here once urged me to add these age-grouped forums to Dimensions, so that those who of the same era, who share roughly the same life experience, can talk amongst themselves. It hasn't really worked, probably because in the anonymity of the web we're less inclined to classify ourselves and more to leaving everything open and a mystery, including age.
Anyway, those who ARE in their 60s probably look back on their lives so far and see distinct phases. It's actually a nice thing and an interesting one. What many of us see is that life seems at roughly a plateau in terms of our general physical appearance and abilities between 30 and the mid-50s, and then all of a sudden everything seems to go south.
While no one beats Mother Nature and Father Time, we can try to stay on good terms with them as much as possible. To my way of thinking, that's where exercise comes in. Unfortunately, exercise is hard and boring, and thus all too often falls into the category of short-lived New Year's resolutions. That's unfortunate as for exercise to work, it must be a regular part of our lives.
So, looking back over the past decades, this is what I learned about exercise and how to do it right. In essence, our bodies are like cars. They need to be used, but not abused, to work best and longest. Let me explain.
Regular use -- Just like a regularly driven and maintained vehicle is most likely to provide many years of reliable service, so our bodies, too, work best with regular use. Many old(er) people lose their physical strength and abilities primarily because they don't use their bodies and cut down on physical activities. Regular exercise can do wonders, but it MUST be regular. That's why it's by far best to come up with something sustainable. And then stick with it, and the exercise schedule, come hell or high water. No excuses, ever.
Don't overdo it -- I love drag racing. Short bursts of extreme performance at the track where numbers count. Love it. But drag racing, though a single pass down the 1/4-mile track only takes a few seconds, is extremely hard on the car. Things wear and brake at very high rates. Likewise, extreme physical bursts of activity make the body wear and break. Unnecessary wear and breakdowns are the enemy of good health. Stay away from exercise that can and will make your body break. For that reason I am totally against impact sports in youth. Those injuries will come back decades later to plague and haunt you.
The right level -- While track and endurance racing are easier on the car than the extreme bursts of drag racing, pushing the car so hard lap after lap will inevitably make it wear and break. Even with the best parts and the best maintenance. Same for bodies. Too high a level of exercise, in any sport, will almost inevitably wear the body down. How many people do you know who blew, or wore out, out their knees and hips and elbows? Tore ligaments and muscles, or injured themselves otherwise in exercise and sports? Too many. So don't overdo it. Exercise within engineering tolerance.
That's it, really. Exercise. Always. But at a reasonable level. Don't try to beat your own best. Don't time yourself. Don't count. But never stop. Never have excuses not to do it.
One of my dear friends, the late Kara (Theatrmuse/Kara) here once urged me to add these age-grouped forums to Dimensions, so that those who of the same era, who share roughly the same life experience, can talk amongst themselves. It hasn't really worked, probably because in the anonymity of the web we're less inclined to classify ourselves and more to leaving everything open and a mystery, including age.
Anyway, those who ARE in their 60s probably look back on their lives so far and see distinct phases. It's actually a nice thing and an interesting one. What many of us see is that life seems at roughly a plateau in terms of our general physical appearance and abilities between 30 and the mid-50s, and then all of a sudden everything seems to go south.
While no one beats Mother Nature and Father Time, we can try to stay on good terms with them as much as possible. To my way of thinking, that's where exercise comes in. Unfortunately, exercise is hard and boring, and thus all too often falls into the category of short-lived New Year's resolutions. That's unfortunate as for exercise to work, it must be a regular part of our lives.
So, looking back over the past decades, this is what I learned about exercise and how to do it right. In essence, our bodies are like cars. They need to be used, but not abused, to work best and longest. Let me explain.
Regular use -- Just like a regularly driven and maintained vehicle is most likely to provide many years of reliable service, so our bodies, too, work best with regular use. Many old(er) people lose their physical strength and abilities primarily because they don't use their bodies and cut down on physical activities. Regular exercise can do wonders, but it MUST be regular. That's why it's by far best to come up with something sustainable. And then stick with it, and the exercise schedule, come hell or high water. No excuses, ever.
Don't overdo it -- I love drag racing. Short bursts of extreme performance at the track where numbers count. Love it. But drag racing, though a single pass down the 1/4-mile track only takes a few seconds, is extremely hard on the car. Things wear and brake at very high rates. Likewise, extreme physical bursts of activity make the body wear and break. Unnecessary wear and breakdowns are the enemy of good health. Stay away from exercise that can and will make your body break. For that reason I am totally against impact sports in youth. Those injuries will come back decades later to plague and haunt you.
The right level -- While track and endurance racing are easier on the car than the extreme bursts of drag racing, pushing the car so hard lap after lap will inevitably make it wear and break. Even with the best parts and the best maintenance. Same for bodies. Too high a level of exercise, in any sport, will almost inevitably wear the body down. How many people do you know who blew, or wore out, out their knees and hips and elbows? Tore ligaments and muscles, or injured themselves otherwise in exercise and sports? Too many. So don't overdo it. Exercise within engineering tolerance.
That's it, really. Exercise. Always. But at a reasonable level. Don't try to beat your own best. Don't time yourself. Don't count. But never stop. Never have excuses not to do it.
