Michael Rosenthal, Co-Owner and General Manager Island Fitness
An article published in the Washington Post on January 16th caused quite a stir. The story references Richard Morgan, a 93-year old man “with the aerobic engine of a healthy 30- or 40-year-old and the body-fat percentage of a whippet”. Furthermore, “…in many ways, he’s an exemplar of fit, healthy aging — a nonagenarian with the heart, muscles and lungs of someone less than half his age.”
While this extraordinary in itself, Richard did not start exercising until he was 73! Why should you care about this if you’re already exercising at 18, 30 or 50? Because the earlier you start, the better, as you’ll see below.
Richard developed this fitness with a simple, relatively abbreviated exercise routine
- Consistency: Every week, he rows about 30 kilometers (about 18.5 miles), averaging around 40 minutes a day.
- A mix of easy, moderate and intense training: About 70 percent of these workouts are easy, with Morgan hardly laboring. Another 20 percent are at a difficult but tolerable pace, and the final 10 at an all-out, barely sustainable intensity.
- Weight training: Two or three times a week, he also weight-trains, using adjustable dumbbells to complete about three sets of lunges and curls, repeating each move until his muscles are too tired to continue.
- A high-protein diet: He eats plenty of protein, his daily consumption regularly exceeding the usual dietary recommendation of about 60 grams of protein for someone of his weight. (We’ll address Protein intake at a later date)
Left unchallenged, muscle mass decreases approximately 3-8% per decade after the age of 30 and accelerates after the age of 60. Studies are showing, however, that this is not inevitable, and that muscle mass can even be increased into your 80’s and beyond.
It’s proven that the earlier you start, the better. The more muscle mass you have;
- The better your body functions metabolically
- You are less injury prone
- You have healthier bones (they are stronger when they need to support more muscle)
- Your ease of navigating the stresses modern life increases
Gaining muscle mass in your youth and/or through your 30’s and 40’s sets you up for success as you age.
The younger we are, the more quickly our bodies respond, but in any age category, weightlifting needs to be done properly and with correct form, to recognize your maximum gains and to avoid injury.
That’s where we can help. Our Ortho-Kinetics® Assessment helps identify physical imbalances that we all have. This is important because the human body has an amazing ability to compensate, but these compensations can lead to more imbalances and chronic pain and injuries. Whether you’re a high school athlete or have just retired and are dismayed by what you perceive as your physical limitations, we can guide you to training efficiently and safely to achieve maximum gains.
Read the full Washington Post Article here!
Michael Rosenthal
Co-Owner | General Manager
Island Fitness
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