Since my friends know how passionate I am about health and fitness, they occasionally send me humorous cartoons that poke fun at exercise.
Consider this funny email, "It is well documented that for every minute that you exercise, you add one minute to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $9,000 per month."
I enjoyed the humor, but then wondered "Do some people actually subscribe to this theory? Do some believe that feebleness is an inevitable part of old age?"
The great news is that this thinking has been soundly disproven. Science has shown that exercise as an adult is repaid not minute for minute, but two for one. For each hour we invest, we receive two hours of additional lifespan, according to Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger in a longitudinal research on over 17,000 Harvard students.
Generous doses of regular aerobic exercise have been shown to be beneficial to every organ system in the body: the heart and lungs, the digestive system, the brain, breast, uterus, prostate and endocrine system. Exercise is a powerful sleep aid, a potent antidepressant, and can enhance memory and thinking as we age. That is because more oxygen and glucose reach the brain when blood flow is increased.
But will we really live those extra years in a nursing home? This speaks to one of our greatest fears about aging.
Lower body weakness is a common reason for admittance to a long-term care facility. And a statistic that the average 65 year old woman cannot lift 10 pounds shows how weakness can limit one's ability to live alone. Therefore incorporating strength training into an exercise program may greatly improve strength, resilience, and help avoid injury.
Since muscles attach to bones, the best way to increase bone strength is to stimulate the muscle attached to it. This is most effectively done through a resistance-training program where muscle fatigue is achieved in 12 - 15 repetitions. The bones of the hip and lower back can also be strengthened through weight bearing exercises like walking, jogging, or hiking.
Research has shown that healthy older individuals who exercise with strength and balance training cut their rate of falls in half, even into their 90's. Maria Fiatarone (JAMA, 1990) showed that an 8-week weight-lifting program produced a 175% increase in strength and a 48% increase in walk speed and balance in frail 80- and 90-year olds.
A strong neuromusculoskeletal system will preserve one's ability to carry groceries, walk up stairs or pick up grandchildren. It is the ability to perform these routine activities that help us care for ourselves longer.
So will exercise make us live longer, just to drain our children's inheritance by prolonging expensive nursing home care? I am thankful that the science says "no." In fact, the failure to stay fit is a sure ticket to physical and mental deterioration for anyone who makes it past the age of 60.
A lifestyle that incorporates strength, aerobic and flexibility exercise is the best strategy for lifelong good health and independence. Come to the Farmington Senior Center and I'll show you some folks who are aging well through this type of exercise right in our backyard!
Lisa is a former ICU nurse who grew up in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. She has spent the past 38 years in the fitness and wellness industry helping others with personal transformation through movement, nutrition, and mindset training. She holds a BSN from Oral Roberts University and an MBA from Indiana University, but is most passionate about helping others grow their "health bank" as a holistic nurse coach. You can reach Lisa at www.LisaBellHenson.com.