Not Older But Better

 During this morning's conversation with Mr. Maceman - Rik Brown, a realization occurred to me that we are the first generation with a sizable percentage of serious fitness enthusiasts. Take notice at the number of the "over 40" crowd in gyms, boxes, social media, setting records, and generally being more active compared to past generations. Search the names Diana Nyad, Louie Simmons, and Freya Hoffmeister to get an idea of what these 'masters' athletes are accomplishing.

 Maybe the beginnings of your fitness was grabbing your first issue of Muscle and Fitness back in the late 70's or a P.E. coach who got you interested in weight training or continuing playing a sport. Regardless of what inspired fitness, many in the masters age group know that use it or lose it holds true. Imagine living a life of working hard and sacrificing to obtain a decent retirement and not being able to enjoy it due to medical conditions that could have been prevented or alleviated with some physical training. Taking care of your body's structure is as important as dental hygiene. You have 32 adult teeth and donate about 5 minutes a day to brushing, now put that into perspective to 640+ muscles - a simple plan would be to train for a half to a full hour a day.

 We will be the first generation with enough participants in the fitness group for doctors and scientists to evaluate the effects of training on different levels throughout the average human lifespan. We are pioneers in not only the fitness arena but also the scientific fields of geriatrics, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, and a plethora of others without even knowing it! We are also the first generation to have athletes continuing to set and break records until their later years.

 Being stronger not only enables older folks to remain active but offers a decline in blood sugar problems, hypertension related issues, and more importantly a 'suit of armor' built from stronger than average muscles and bones to protect against falls that often debilitates many of our aged population. If you have steadily trained since younger days, or began on you 40th birthday, your continued dedication will pay out in the future and with a much greater reward than your 401K could ever realize.