More exercise means less aging: a close look at how exercise holds back Father Time

A close look at how exercise holds back

Father Time.

Exercise has become a way of life for millions of Americans. It is estimated that 85 million Americans participate in some form of exer

cise at least three times a week. For some, exercise is used as a means to achieve trim legs, a small waist, or superior strength. Others use exercise to escape from the pressures of life. Today many experts feel that regular exercise can not only improve the quality of one's life, but perhaps the quantity as well.

Can the fountain of youth be found through regular exercise? While the aging process is inevitable, many experts agree that the majority of the decline in physiological systems is from disuse, not from aging. Ray Walford, a noted expert in the aging process, emphasizes the difference between biological age and chronological age. One might have a chronological age of 50, but because of exercise and a healthy lifestyle have a biological age of 30.

Until recently, promotion of exercise programs for older adults was rather nonexistent. Little research was available on the safety and effectiveness of exercise for the older individual. From the results of prolonged bed rest and exercise studies involving older participants, research has concluded that with exercise, the elderly can expect the following:

* Improvement and maintenance of

cardiorespiratory fitness, * Improvement and maintenance of

muscle strength and endurance, and flexibility.

* Regulation on metabolism and

weight gain (maintain lean body mass).

* Regulation of blood pressure.

* Prevention of loss of bone mass.

* Lowered concentration of fatty sub

stances in the blood, thereby preventing or reducing the effects of heart disease.

* Improved psychological health (im

proved self-image).

* Thinner and more elastic blood ves

sels.

* Maintenance and improvement of

maximal oxygen uptake.

* Maintenance of glucose regulation.

At age 66, Helen Klein, a nationally ranked masters runner from Sacramento, has run more miles than most women or men half her age. Helen started running at age 55 because she had more time available since retiring, and because she wanted to stay in good physical condition. Her interest in running competitively started with a challenge from a friend to enter a local IOK (10-kilometer) race. Helen started training on a homemade track in her backyard, gradually working up to one mile, then two miles, finally up to 10 miles a day. Helen not only entered and finished the race, she decided to enter the 10-mile run instead of the IOK, and she won her division.

To date, Helen has competed in more than 38 marathons, and 37 races in the 50- to 100-mile range. She holds the world records for the 100- and 50-mile distances, as well as the IOOK distance. She also holds many national records for the 50- and 100-mile distances. In 1982, she competed in the Hawaiian Ironman competition, which consists of a 2.5mile ocean swim, followed by a 112-mile bike trip through lava beds, and finishing with a 26.2-mile run. Helen came in second place for her age division. She contends that one of her favorite races is the Western States 100-mile run, which is a cross-country run through the Sierras.

Helen loves to compete, but confesses that her main goal of running is to encourage older individuals to increase their physical activity level. She has no doubt that regular exercise will help improve the quality and the quantity of life. Following a medical research study Helen was involved in, she found out she had the bone density of a 35-year-old woman. She recommends that older individuals interested in starting an exercise program have a physical examination, and start slowly.

How Exercise Slows the Aging Process

Heart rate. Maximal heart rate is agerelated. This means that as we get older, our maximal heart rate declines. The maximal heart rate is usually represented as 220 minus one's age in years. Other factors that affect maximal heart rate include certain types of medications, as well as known or suspected cardiovascular disease. Ideally, anyone starting an exercise program should be evaluated on a treadmill to obtain an accurate maximal heart rate.

Training heart rate is not the same as maximal. Care must be given not to overestimate training heart rate in the older individual. The training heart rate is calculated as 70 percent of the maximal heart rate. For example, the maximal heart rate for a 65-year-old is 220 less 65 = 155 beats per minute (bpm). The training heart rate would be 155 x .70 = 109 bpm.

Maximal oxygen uptake. Maximal oxygen uptake is the single best predictor of aerobic fitness. It represents the greatest amount of oxygen that can be utilized by the body. From the normal aging process, maximal oxygen uptake declines about 8 to 10 percent per decade after age 30. This decline is partly because of the decrease in maximal heart rate, and the subsequent decrease in heart function.

There is growing evidence that regular aerobic exercise may delay the normal decline in maximal oxygen uptake. Studies have shown improvements in aerobic capacity in older participants, as well as better maintenance of aerobic fitness over the years. Older participants can enjoy many of the benefits of increased cardiovascular conditioning, including: lowered submaximal heart rate at any given workload, a faster recovery heart rate, and a decreased systolic blood pressure at rest and during exercise.

Bones. Osteoporosis is a serious problem in older people, particularly in women. Osteoporosis results in bone with less density and strength. Exercise has been shown to play a role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Exercise places stress on the bones; the bones adapt to stress and become stronger.

Skeletal muscle. Muscle mass declines with age, which results in decreased strength. Older participants have the capacity to increase muscle size and strength. Studies have shown that the natural decline in muscle mass can be altered by maintaining a mild strength and conditioning program throughout one's lifetime.

Flexibility. Connective tissue becomes stiffer, and joints become less mobile with age. Thus, loss of flexibility is inevitable with age. Loss of flexibility with age may also be the result of certain disease processes such as arthritis. An active range-of-motion and flexibility program should be part of any exercise program, regardless of one's age. Loss of flexibility with age can be reduced through regular exercise.

Body composition. With age, body weight generally increases and height gradually decreases. Regular exercise can enable older individuals to consume more calories, while maintaining their ideal or desired body weight.

Exercise recommendations for the older adult. Regular exercise has been shown to improve the quality of life at any age. For the older individual, exercise may delay some of the normal physiological changes that take place with age. Before starting an exercise program, consult your physician. While the principles of an exercise prescription apply to people of any age, greater care must be given when setting up a fitness program for older participants.

The following are recommendations for exercise prescription in the elderly:

*Start slowly, and progress gradually

from a low intensity, working up to a mild-to-moderate level,

* Warm up thoroughly. A good warm

up should take 5 to 10 minutes. Care should be given so that local muscle groups are not overloaded, suddenly.

* Physician clearance should be ob

tained for individuals with medical conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and orthopedic problems.

* Use special care when lifting weights

if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or arthritis.

* Use an extended cool-down, approx

imately 10 to 15 minutes.

* Find an activity that is enjoyable,

and exercise at a pace that is comfortable.

* Use caution when exercising in the

heat and cold.

* Take plenty of water and rest breaks.

Another great way to start a fitness program is to contact some of the national senior sports organizations. Some of these organizations include The National Masters Swimming Program, The National Masters Long-Distance Running Organization, and Senior Tennis, Inc. Another suggestion is to contact your local park and recreation department, YMCA or YWCA, public school system, college or university, or sports and health clubs. 0

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