Exercise for longevity

 

I grew up with exercise being a big part of my life so it’s no surprise that I ended up having a career as a personal trainer and I have no doubt I will exercise for as long as I am physically capable. As I wrote in a social media post recently, I am a strong proponent of exercising for health and wellbeing as opposed to weight loss, although weight loss can be a benefit of exercising.

We often don’t realise when we’re young how much our lifestyles impact on our future and I’ve witnessed those who don’t exercise and have deteriorated in later life, as well as those who made exercise a part of their lives and have continued to thrive into their later years.

As we get older, we tend to move less. If you think about it, how many steps do you get in when you’re dropping the kids off at school or walking from the car to the office, and even from one meeting to the next? Many people have active jobs too so when they retire, it’s even more noticeable.

For those who do move less, the years pass by, people become less independent and more reliant on carers. Many end up in nursing homes where even more of their independence is taken away. Take my grandad for example. I always remember how my grandad was when I was a kid. He was a painter and decorator, a kind man and did a lot for me. He was a great grandparent. When my nana died it hit him hard. He started to put weight on and he wasn’t moving as much. Before we knew it, the weight gain caused knee pain which meant he couldn’t work due to the physical demands of the job. He retired and before long he was living in a home and carers were looking after him. Over these years, I’ve noticed his life deteriorate.

On the flipside, I’ve seen people his age who are still independent, going out, doing physical events, enjoying their grandkids and going on holiday like younger generations do. One of these people I met through my PT career. Denise was a member at Metro gym when I first started my PT career almost 10 years ago and she was in her sixties at the time.

In her 30s she had major health issues and realised she needed to do everything she could to support her health. She’s been heavily involved in our fitness community ever since. Denise is now in her seventies, fit and healthy and enjoying life to the fullest. She runs 10km races for fun, she lifts weights and keeps up with some of the younger people in the gym and more importantly, keeping up with her grandkids. Denise is reaping the rewards of making exercise a part of her daily life.

Not doing exercise is easy. In the short term and when we’re younger, we might not notice the difference. But when we get older, there comes a point when it does become noticeable, when bones aren’t as strong, when we can’t move as fast, when our posture declines or our hearts falter.

On the flip side, the benefits of exercise are noticeable. We notice when we become stronger. We notice when we have more energy. We notice when we workout and we feel less anxious or stressed. We might even notice that we are ill less frequently than our friends who don’t exercise. All of the health and social benefits of exercise impact on overall quality of life and the ability to live independently for longer. So even if you’re young and healthy now, don’t take it for granted – exercise for longevity.