Is this where you are headed-> You gain a pound of two a fat each year. That fat gain is accompanied by a decline in fat burning hormones, foremost among them testosterone. Weight gain leads to lower testosterone; lower testosterone leads to even more weight gain - a vicious cycle begins.
You become less active. With that comes a decline in mitochondrial capacity and nitric oxide availability (Both necessary to perform demanding work). The result is even more inactivity - still another vicious cycle and more to follow.
Because you have not done sustained demanding work in years you become weaker. Human growth hormone - necessary for maintaining muscle and bone mass - declines quicker than age would otherwise dictate. Your muscle mass decreases, muscles become weaker, and bone density loss accelerates.
Your heart becomes weaker. Strong muscles push the cardiovascular system and are necessary to condition the heart. Maintaining strong muscles results in a long list cardiovascular benefits.
Weaker muscles make it harder to keep your balance. This leads to falling and possible serious injury.
Your respiratory system becomes weaker. Your forced expiratory volume (how much air you can forcibly exhale) goes down; pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses pose bigger threats than should be.
Cognitive decline begins. Without vigorous exercise there is less neurogenesis (the production of new brain cells), and there is a decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor - important for the growth and survival of those brain cells.
Aches and pains prevail. Pains dictates your range of motion. That range becomes increasingly restricted. Pain is associated with inflammation; chronic inflammation of joints results in arthritis.
Pain, inactivity, and declining health can lead to depression.
You are not powerless to change this course. The good news:
All this can be reversed, sometimes dramatically.
Unfit subjects will improve much more from exercise than fit subjects. They have more upside potential compared to those who are already in good condition.
It takes as little as 30 minutes of exercise a week to see that improvement.
While that is not the prevailing wisdom regarding the frequency of exercise, the proof is in the results. The key is to provide the minimum effective dose of exercise necessary to stimulate change and then allow adequate time to fully recover. We have clients who have experienced these benefits:
Start now. If you don’t have the time for exercise now you will have to make time for sickness and injury later on. At our Austin Strength Training facility we can guide you through a workout suitable for your age and condition. Each week you will lift a little more, lift a little longer, and take a little less time between exercises. We monitor that progress. Over time these small steps add up. You will reverse the path you are on, and best of all, as your fitness improves you will be more inclined to be active, further enhancing your health and quality of life.
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