Some people might not view aging as a choice. It is! You can decide if you want to spend your days feeling vital, energetic and healthy. Forget chronology. Aging backwards is about joyfully using your body to exercise, travel and play with your friends, children and grandchildren. We no longer need to accept the downfalls of aging as an inevitability, to a life confined to joint and back pain, limited mobility, and lack of strength that keeps you on bench watching others do the things you once did. You can stay in the game!
What’s the secret? Move your body every day. Yes, it’s that simple!
Up until very recently, researchers believed that many of the negative effects of aging were inevitable. And the dogma is strong. We never thought to challenge why our bones become brittle or how our muscles waste away. We simply accepted that weight gain will happen, as will various chronic diseases and mental dementia. No wonder our culture idolizes youth!
Thanks to the burgeoning field of gerontology, assumptions are being busted left and right. Aging is far more a consequence of lifestyle choices than calendar years. We can age backwards. In fact, many of the symptoms we associate with aging are the result of not just the wear and tear on our bodies over the years, but also the negative effects of disuse.
Yep. Not using our body is as detrimental to healthy aging as poor nutrition and smoking.
Wellspring of Youth
In our muscles are the keys to our longevity. This mystical wellspring of youth is our mitochondria, otherwise known as powerhouse of our cells. If we can keep the mitochondrial fires burning, our muscles can enjoy the vitality and energy of youth, right up until our final days.
The ‘secret’ to keeping these powerhouses well fed and burning strong may surprise you. You don’t have to run marathons or spend hours pumping iron at the gym. All you need to do is stretch. I get it, if that seems to good to be true. Most of us grew up on the idea of “no pain, no gain.” The reality is more like know pain and no gain. That’s because gentle movement is the name of the game for lasting strength and flexibility.
Whether you are a 40-something working parent looking for a home-based workout, a 50-something executive who needs to relieve stress, or a 60-something looking for new ways to stay fit and vital, gentle fluid movement is your ticket to feeling and looking stronger, healthier and happier for years to come.
