Are You Destined To Become A Weak Old Man?
Haven’t we associated old age with weakness? Why is this so?
Haven’t people seen Rodney Hahn, the 54-year old record holder for pull-ups (see below)? Why can’t every grey haired man do 6737 pull-ups? This is because many older men don’t realize that they still have the ability to retain or gain strength.
Before you start scratching your head, wondering what we are really getting at, you should have a look at how aging brings about changes in your body that can lead to eventually becoming a “weak old man.” Once you understand these changes, you will also be well equipped to combat them as you enter your 50s and 60s.
‘Wacky’ Hormones
When a man enters the autumn of his life, his hormonal activity unleashes its last surges before falling to its bare minimum. As conditioning and strength coaches will guide all of their students, your body needs an increase in specific hormones.
Insulin, testosterone, growth hormones and cortisol in particular are the hormones that are needed to bounce back against becoming a weak old man. You should heed the advice of your doctor about this and they will propose changes in lifestyle which can naturally help your recovery.
Muscle Memory
A lasting hormonal balance isn’t the only reason some men remain strong as they age. Much of remaining strong has a lot to do with neuromuscular control. This illustrates your brain’s ability to guide your muscles.
As age progresses, the receptors which are needed to activate this activity in your brain are on the decline. This is why some of you may find yourself losing a match of arm wrestling to your 20-year old son. This happens mostly because your son’s receptors are intact and not because he is much stronger than you are.
In order to have your receptors working perfectly, you need to be in control of your muscles. The next subject of discussion will explain how to do so.
Changing Priorities
Very few people in the age bracket of 50 or above devote their time and money towards physical fitness. As responsibilities and priorities are driven towards different goals, men forget the importance of exercise. This not only gets you into shape, but also induces the needed increases in the hormones we discussed above.
Orthopedic doctors and sports experts are of the opinion that 50 is the crucial age where staying fit is relatively possible. This is because the decline in health and increase in risks as you continue to age, make it difficult to induce fitness into a routine. It still may not be too late for you to carve out time for this necessity and there are lots of options for incorporating activity and movement into your life.
The Takeaway
It should seem at this point that exercise is the cure to a lot of your problems. You don’t’ have to aim for those record holding pull-ups, nor do you have to turn yourself into a phenomenon. All you need is to incorporate physical training which focuses only on overall fitness.
Another misconception about physical fitness is that the harder you train, the stronger you will get. The word ‘harder’ should be replaced with ‘longer’, and you are good to go!
