Keeping up with the aging process with fitness and exercise

Keeping up with the aging process with fitness and exercise
by Brian Kramer, MS, L.Ac.

 This article addresses some of the effects of aging through the decades of life, and explanation of how to focus exercise and movement to maintain good physical functioning. The recommendations will help anyone have an improvement in physical strength, endurance, and flexibility. I have segmented the aging process into decades and offer staging of fitness needs in those decades for the beneficial progression of movement. The information that I have gathered are from the disciplines of Evolutionary Biology, Developmental Biology, Biomechanics, and Anatomy. Metabolic aging is not covered in this article. The grand view of body structure and movement within the context of our body design is emphasized here.

There seems to be an ever increasing joint replacement trend. Although joint deterioration can come from multiple causes, I will focus here on the deterioration from lack of, or improper movement. Our upright body design has given us the adaptation of efficiency in movement as compared to other animals. When being upright in the sun, we have less surface area and potential of overheating than if we were walking on four legs. Our body wide sweat glands also provide us with an efficient radiant cooling system unlike other animals. If given enough time we would be able to overtake any other land animal when we are in peak physical condition. We are also designed to be runners with our Achilles tendon and nuchal ligament development. The nuchal ligament development is the major tissue in the neck that gives us the signal to lift our heads as infants and to stand upright. It is an integral part of our running ability. If we progress within the adaptation of our body design, we do better not to always be running but to alternate between running, walking, and jogging. This style of running offers us more efficiency and longevity in our running ability without injury.

            Staging our exercise and fitness routines based on our developmental strengths through the decades can allow us to age well in graceful and efficient movement. This is equally important to women and men alike. Physical training focuses on the triad of body structure and functional development; strength, endurance, and flexibility. Preparing ourselves for future decades of life with proper physical conditioning will give us better adaptation to stressors, reduced injury, and improved repair ability. I am advocating a shifting emphasis in each segment of strength, endurance, and flexibility training in each decade but not avoiding any of the triad of fitness in each decade.

Childhood to age 20

            As infants, our ability to stand upright is partially determined by the development of our neck muscles and Nuchal ligament. The activation and strengthening of these muscles triggers the neural responses of balance and the raising of the head toward the upright stance. In this age range through adolescence there is explosive levels of growth and activity and children should be encouraged to be as active as possible. Children have a high level of adaptation and healing ability in this time frame. The amount of activity here will lay the foundation for the activity a person is willing to do in later years. It can be thought of as a building of momentum. Endurance is a hallmark of our fitness capabilities in these beginning decades. A person’s level of endurance generated in this time frame provides the momentum for lifelong ability and agility.

Age 20-30

            This age range is our peak in athletic and fitness development. It is a time for balanced fitness training incorporating all three areas of physical development. Strength training should encourage enough physical stress that the transition of force through muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone increases tissue development. This kinetic chain (also called bone loading) transfer’s force through the softer tissue of muscle, to the progressively harder tissues of tendon, ligament, and bone. This progressive force makes all these tissues stronger. If you were to look at microscopic imaging of this tissue transition you would see that each tissue fuses and gradually changes into its attached tissue. Muscle is the major driver of movement while the harder structures are mostly the support. Examples of strength training can be as simple as body weight resistance, or using other weight bearing apparatus. It is important when doing strength training that a full range of motion is achieved to develop the entire kinetic chain. Too much load will decrease range of motion with the potential for injury. Over time, a proper strength training program gets the body stronger with improved ability to move a load.

            Peak endurance training which builds stamina at this stage improves circulation of interstitial fluids, lymph, and blood. Other metabolic functions such as cardio/respiratory exchange, hormonal regulations, and the ability to sustain movement are improved. Stamina may be our greatest gift for human survival. This is obvious in evolutionary biology as the upright human form makes us more efficient then the four legged animals. We should be able to catch up and overtake any land animal. The book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall shows us the potential of human running ability. Other forms of endurance exercises besides running are rowing, treadmill, elliptical trainer and the like.

            Flexibility training at this stage improves range of motion and joint mobility. This is important in having enough opening for better movement of the joints, and in keeping the joints well lubricated and in good health. Joints that are tight tend to have decreased circulation and increased deterioration. The outcome for this (with the complexity of) inflammatory processes, pain, and immobility and possible infirmary. Flexibility training takes a joint to its limit of motion. Improved flexibility will not occur until the joint has been taken to its limit. Proper technique is in the gradual stretch at the limit while holding the position. This is considered passive (static) stretching. More experience in flexibility training offers greater ability to perform active (dynamic) stretching without injury. Exercise examples of flexibility training are Active Release and yoga, although there are many other named stretching programs.

Age 30-40

            A more refined level of body awareness is developed during this time frame. The previous decade should have shown us our abilities and limitations in physical development if we had reached our peak intensity levels. This gives us our fitness level baseline. This decade and the following are more of a refinement and adjustment in physical abilities. Our physical abilities generally do not vary much in this decade from our 20's if we have maintained our fitness regimen. A person can start feeling signs of over-training or under-training with varying symptoms at this point.

Age 40-50

            In this physical developmental stage we have a greater need for endurance and flexibility training than strength training. Our ability for improving strength is waning because of metabolic and hormonal changes. The ability to gain strength is still available for those people without structural damage, or those who have not engaged in strength training at an earlier age. They will notice a larger range in strength progression than someone who has already been at their peak strength level. A person who starts a strength training program at this stage will not have the same capacity as they would have in earlier years. Statistically there will also be a longer curve of improvement in strength capacity.

            At this phase, endurance levels can still remain high from previous time frames. People should be encouraged to remain active and to keep building stamina. One caveat to this is to reduce high impact activities. Improper running techniques over time, for example, can negatively impact joint health with excessive compression. With this being the case, an increase in stretching will provide the joints better flexibility and improved health. Endurance and flexibility training have equal importance in this phase. Examples of exercise training in this phase are swimming, low impact running/jogging, yoga, and rowing.

Age 50-70

            In these two decades people tend to say that they are witness to the “aging process”. Some people seem to age better than others for a multitude of reasons. This article is mostly addressing the physical structure and ability. If a person hasn't kept up with their physical conditioning from previous generations then they will experience an accelerated so called “de-conditioning” process. Strength training at this point should be reducing in intensity and geared mostly to body weight exercises and balance training. Endurance training at this stage would be low impact aerobic fitness while the length of training time can remain high. For instance, walking at maximum speed before a trot can still be maintained in distance or length of time while having had reduced the impact to joints. Sustained cardio/respiratory affect would still be addressed without over strain.

            As a person approaches closer to the 70 year mark, she/he would be shifting a fitness routine to an increased devotion to stretching and flexibility training, while reducing endurance and strength training. Again I emphasize not to completely stop endurance and strength training but to shift more to stretching.

Age 70 and older

            The need for flexibility at this phase of life is of utmost importance to be able to move well with grace and vigor. Well-formed and performed fitness regimens in previous decades lay the foundation for the ability to move in advanced years. Joint maintenance is sustained by moving the joints. It is a lubrication process that improves nutrition to the joints while also taking away any degenerative products. Many people at this stage do not want to move much because of pain. Pain may be occurring because the joint has been deteriorating over time, or because a person has not been moving the joint. Joints have to move otherwise stiffness and resulting pain occurs.

            Previous endurance training will give a person longevity in physical functioning and stamina. At this phase lasting goals are to remain energetic and having the strength to move the body well. A person in their elder years will require more devotion to taking care of physical wellbeing. A phrase in physics states “a body at rest wants to stay at rest while a body in motion wants to stay in motion”. This is also true with people. The human body is not designed for sitting for long stretches of time. This is a major cause of dysfunction. People who are sitting for long stretches will get used to sitting but pay the price in joint stiffness. We should adhere to “the body in motion wants to stay in motion” adage to function well into our later years.

If you have any comments or want any additional information about this article, please contact;

Brian Kramer, MS, L.Ac.

Kramer Fitness Training
Kramer Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Raleigh, NC
[email protected]
919-845-3280