#WHYITRAIN: The Big 5-0. Reflections on LTAD, Aging and a Healthy Lifestyle
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My career and lifetime has been dedicated to the study and practice of growth and maturation of young people (children and adolescents) in the context of physical activity, sports performance, and fitness. I have shown graphs of the growth curves depicting the age-related changes in fitness and performance measures like speed, strength, aerobic fitness etc. in many lectures and research papers.
Now, as a 50-year old, I am on the other side of the curve—the downslope, as physical performance begins to naturally decline throughout mid-to-late adulthood—instead of increasing with age as it did during childhood and adolescence.
I remember hearing in the early days of my academic career “it’s interesting to see how researchers turn their attention to the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system, strength, etc., when they get older.” I’m not here to tell you that I am shifting my focus from pediatric exercise science and youth athletic development to aging. It just happens that I’m a bit more interested personally in aging as I turn the Big 5-0, and get to experience all of age’s great effects!
Start with the End in Mind
I use this saying—start with the end in mind—in both my personal and professional life.
In my work, I like to think or visualize a final product, and then come up with the steps and pieces needed to assemble and execute that work.
As for my life, I actually think of my obituary. I know, I know, it’s quite morbid, isn’t it? But really—how do you want your obituary to read. Start there—and work backwards, just like a final product of your work.
And, what will the dates be (1970-?). The expiration date can depend on several factors—some controllable and others not. Unfortunately, we lose many people to unforeseen accidents and other causes of death too early. But for now, let’s consider those things or risk factors for disease and ill-health that are controllable by a healthy lifestyle.
Set Goals
As a 20-something, I set some fitness and performance goals for myself based on my 30th, 40th, and 50th birthdays. I always test myself on my birthday.
I have always loved playing hoops and running fast (it’s a relative concept!), so in my early 20s, I set a goal to have a 30-inch vertical jump when I turned 30 and run a 4 something (4.99 or below) 40 yard dash when I hit 40. I’ll admit, I came up a bit short on both efforts. Almost but not quite…
Some 25 years ago or so, I found it hard to imagine turning 50. At that time, I was in grad school at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and working at the High Altitude Training Center (elevation 7200 feet). As part of this work, we tested endurance athletes—triathletes, mountain bikers, runners, swimmers—often times including a Vo2max test. You may have seen the videos or commercials. Headgear, breathing mask, and run until you fall off the back of the treadmill, gasping for air…and maybe, just maybe hurling your lunch.
So what the heck, how about a goal of a Vo2max of 50 when I’m 50 years old! Wait…that’s now! Let me say, for a former strength and power/explosive athlete (football, basketball, baseball) that may have been a lofty goal. But, as I learned and taught about physical activity and public health and the benefits of cardio-respiratory fitness and its relationship with most chronic diseases and longevity, it seemed like a good goal. However, I couldn’t forget about muscular fitness so I also thought 50 push-ups at age 50 seemed pretty good. And, I’ll confess again—despite a lifetime of consistently performing a well-balanced exercise regimen, I fell just a wee-bit short (but still within the above average/health effects category). Aging sucks! (Note: see Figure 1 above!).
Like all humans, I’m experiencing the age-related decline in physiological capacity. Recently, I went back and re-read the chapter from my exercise physiology course on Aging and Exercise. As I approach most topics, I thought about the human phenotype and the effects of both genetics and environment on it. I decided to check on some reads at Google University, so I typed ‘Genetics of Aging.’ Of course, there is quite a bit on this topic and as I scrolled down the page I came across a paper and the first few lines. It read—Aging negatively impacts vitality and health.
More bad news, right? Well, here’s the good news! This downward aging curve can be bent or slowed with proper exercise, diet, sleep, stress reduction, and other lifestyle factors—and I’m trying hard.
“What Do You Do For Exercise?”
You know when you get with a crowd of people who either exercise or know that you are an active person, or an exercise physiologist, or strength coach that this question will come up:
“So, what do you do for exercise?”
My response is always the same: “I have principles and goals for daily and weekly outputs when it comes to physical activity.”
Daily Goals: Move More, Sit Less
I always start my day with a very short (five minute) walk outside to see the morning sunlight and get some fresh air while my coffee is brewing. Throughout the day, I make sure to move and limit periods of sitting from 45 to 90 minutes max. I walk around the building, or the block, do a quick 5-10 minute dynamic warm-up or push-ups or stretch, etc.
In the evening and on the weekend, I mow the lawn, lift, run, go for a bike ride, shoot hoops, etc. Again, move more, and sit less by taking breaks from sedentary activity—and eat well, sleep 8 hours, read and think (don’t forget to exercise the mind, and allow it to recover).
Weekly Goals: Move as Much as possible
Move as much as possible every day (see: daily goals, above), whether it’s taking a walk, jog, bike, yardwork, sprinting, lift, park at the end of the parking lot, take the stairs
Incorporate moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic or intermittent (fartlek) activity at least 4-5x per week or more depending upon how I feel (stress + recovery = growth)
Lift upper and lower body one to three times per week, including all of the following:
Squat
Lunge
Hinge
Upper horizontal push
Upper horizontal pull
Upper vertical push
Upper vertical pull
Core / Brace / Rotational
Sprint 1x per week
Sport skill 1x per week
Because I tend to be spontaneous and a bit chaotic (this is going to drive the strength & conditioning coaches crazy!), my routine looks totally different every week. But here are a few of my go-to workouts (when I’m not following my Volt All-Around Athlete program) and a few sample weeks. Note–this is my major activity or “training”, it does not include numerous 5-20 min breaks throughout the day (walk, yardwork, chores, etc.).
So at the end of the week, my exercise program has met the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) which “includes cardio-respiratory, resistance, flexibility, and neuromotor exercise training beyond activities of daily living.”
Here’s the complete ACSM recommendation for adults:
Engage in moderate-intensity cardio-respiratory exercise training for >30 min/d on >5 days/week for a total of >150 minutes/week, vigorous-intensity cardio-respiratory exercise training for >20 minutes/day on >3 days/week (>75 minutes/week), or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise.
On 2–3 days/week, adults should also perform resistance exercises for each of the major muscle groups, and neuromotor exercise involving balance, agility, and coordination.
Crucial to maintaining joint range of movement, completing a series of flexibility exercises for each the major muscle–tendon groups on >2 days/week is recommended.
#WHYITRAIN
Why do I train? Simply because Exercise is Medicine!
And, as stated by the American College of Sports Medicine “the beneficial effects of exercise are indisputable.” Living a physically activity lifestyle (throughout the day and across the week) that includes a well-rounded approach with moderate to vigorous bouts of cardiorespiratory exercise, strength training, and neuromotor training (jumps, plyos, balance, coordination, etc.) along with expending enough calories for energy balance, weight maintenance and body composition can reduce the risk of premature mortality (the expiration date) due to chronic diseases of almost every major organ system of the body. And let’s not forget the cognitive and mental benefits of exercise—healthy body, healthy mind.
Mens sana in corpore sano
(Latin, "a healthy mind in a healthy body").
Where To Now?
The average life expectancy of an American male is about 78 years. So, here are my goals looking forward to the upcoming decades:
60 years old – Acquire at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily that includes 2 days per week of strength training and neuromotor training
70 years old – Energetically play with 70-lb children
80 years old – Let’s keep this one plain and simple. How about just living independently. Giddy up!
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
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Learn more about Dr. Eisenmann | @Joe_Eisenmann
