Hello friends~
We’re seeing more and more women athletes doing incredible things into their 60’s, 70’s and 80s.
This is an Instagram video of a guy cheering on his 64-year-old mom , “My Mum Is Stronger Than Your Dad” doing a 145k (319.67) trap bar lift. She’s obviously trained for it, and he’s very excited – he encourages her to try a heavier lift and she goes for it.
Check out the 71-year-old American Ninja Warrior Ginny McColl, trained by her daughter, also an American Ninja Warrior. and 80-year-old Nora Langdon who started powerlifting at 65 because she couldn’t get down the stairs, and is now breaking records. She says she’s stronger than her children.
These gals are training hard, they have goals, and they’re doing things they love. There’s science behind being strong and powerful for longevity and brain health. So these women might be inspirational to you, or they might just look like crazy outliers, doing unrealistic, unattainable things.
So what’s the point?
Let’s get real. How do you stay physically strong and mentally agile to bring life to your years, and years to your life?
Right here:
Movement – do active, challenging things – stuff you enjoy for mobility, strength, and stability, get a coach and learn to lift heavy S***.
Eat good food – healthy nutrition – eat foods you love, and understand your body’s needs – fuel for the function.
It’s not inevitable that we’ll get weaker and more feeble with with age. I blame it on our healthcare (sick care) system that promotes pharmaceuticals and procedures rather than proactive protocols. The challenge for fitness professionals is to help people believe that their bodies are more capable and resilient than they know.
Do you remember when the now ubiquitous pharma ads first hit tv? These commercials convey that we’re all sick, often with ailments we didn’t know existed, which then we suddenly think we have. We’re constantly being influenced to believe that we need medication and doctors to take care of us, instead of relying on the incredible power in our own bodies.
The human body has tremendous self-healing capacity. According to this fascinating NIH study, physiological, psychological, and social factors can play a huge role in health and longevity – and mitigate the need for pills, potions, and procedures.
It starts with attitude.
A positive mindset. A sense of resilience, and reliance on self to maintain good health, proper stamina, and the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle to maintain physical and psychological health, as well as to reduce the effects of aging.
Eat good food. Eat vegetables, fruits, fiber (grains and seeds), healthy fats (like eggs and avocado), and lean proteins (whether plant or animal-based).
Do weight bearing strength exercise, along with HIIT, and steady state, endurance training. Do 30 minutes a day (doesn’t have to be consecutive) of brisk movement, and as little as two or three strength sessions per week, sometimes lasting just 15 to 20 minutes, and you will see results.
Get up and keep moving.
Anything done repeatedly becomes habit. That’s how it works! Movement builds a sense of wellbeing, which leads to movement. Even if you’re starting late, research on sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) suggests you can gain new muscle as you age. And even with natural muscle loss, you can keep training your remaining muscle forever. Muscle supports bones and joints, enabling you to do things you love, which also leads to wellbeing, which leads to doing more of what you love. It’s an upward spiral of strength and health.
You’re getting mentally better with age. Raw processing power is sharper when you’re younger, but your ability to strategize, stress less, and think more clearly improves with time and experience.
You’re in control. Don’t believe the media implying that aging leads to illness and weakness. Every minute is an opportunity to improve and become the best version of yourself.
I recommend again a book I first read almost 20 years ago: Younger Next Year.
There’s an updated version, and a women specific version. The book alternates chapters between a layman and a doctor. It’s sciency, a bit humorous, and a book I’ve marked up in the margins, and filled with sticky notes. It was enlightening to me back then, and I still quote it often. Get it and let me know what you think!
You can add years to your life, and most important, you can add life to your years.
Let’s do it together.
Onward~
Polli
