The phenomenon of getting old
Aging and death is a characteristic feature of every living species. Atherosclerosis gradually limits the oxygen transported to tissues and organs like the brain for instance. As a consequence of the lack of oxygen, cells start to die.
The process of aging has its impact on the components of cells. The spine, for instance, starts to lose connections between collagen fibers in the spinal discs causing the reduction of flexibility and increase the risk of mechanical injury. As a result, the process of aging causes most of our body’s biological functions to gradually worsen.
The basic mechanics responsible for the aging phenomenon are not well known. There are hypotheses mention about the "wearing" of organisms that is beyond the regenerating abilities of tissues, the development of resistance for particular protein components, errors in cells’ division connected with our exposure to external radiation or endogenous mitogens such as peroxidase. Also, there is a hypothesis that implements the aging phenomenon to be “programmed” by the evolution in order to avoid over population.
There are also vast differences between people, considering their functionality at a certain chronological age. People who care about their health, especially those who care about maximum oxidation, strength and flexibility of the muscles, in the age of 65 can compare their functionality with the functionality of a 25-years-old person who leads a sedentary life style. So, there is a difference between chronological and biological age of particular people and by this hypotheses, the decisions concerning the employment should be based on person’s biological age. Some signals like graying or alopecia are not authoritative to assess the biological age.
Among many factors that help up to slow down the process of aging, physical exercises are very important. The strength of muscles can be greatly improved even by people in older age. The benefits of strengthened muscles are invaluable.
And physical exercises are one of the best possible investments in our health. And it is an investment that we can make in every moment of our life. This investment does not require ridiculously large financial costs. The costs of equipping a home gym is comparable to the cost of a single holiday trip.
We should consider why do we safe our financial resources on our pension system, while on the other hand, we do so little to make a longer use of these money? It is never too late for changes and the decision always belongs to us.
The process of aging has its impact on the components of cells. The spine, for instance, starts to lose connections between collagen fibers in the spinal discs causing the reduction of flexibility and increase the risk of mechanical injury. As a result, the process of aging causes most of our body’s biological functions to gradually worsen.
The basic mechanics responsible for the aging phenomenon are not well known. There are hypotheses mention about the "wearing" of organisms that is beyond the regenerating abilities of tissues, the development of resistance for particular protein components, errors in cells’ division connected with our exposure to external radiation or endogenous mitogens such as peroxidase. Also, there is a hypothesis that implements the aging phenomenon to be “programmed” by the evolution in order to avoid over population.
Classification of age and biological functions
Usually, we achieve both biological and physical peak at age 20-35. Between the age of 35-45, physical activity fades and our organism cumulates around 5-10 kg of fat. During these years, our motivation towards exercises and physical activities becomes reduced because we care less about impressing the opposite sex or our employer with our figure. Later, at the age of 45-65 lat, women are after their menopause period and men suffer from significant reduction of their sex hormones’ level. In this time we achieve the peak of our career, which is directly connected with our income. We spend our free time on traveling, holidays or restaurants. Decrease in condition of our body at this age is noticeable and the loss of condition becomes quicker. In the beginning of old age (65-75 years) may occur a slight increase in our physical activity. It is connected with the amount of free time we try to spend in a productive or active way since we have retired. During the old age (75-85), most of the people become disabled and after reaching the age of 85, a person becomes completely dependent.There are also vast differences between people, considering their functionality at a certain chronological age. People who care about their health, especially those who care about maximum oxidation, strength and flexibility of the muscles, in the age of 65 can compare their functionality with the functionality of a 25-years-old person who leads a sedentary life style. So, there is a difference between chronological and biological age of particular people and by this hypotheses, the decisions concerning the employment should be based on person’s biological age. Some signals like graying or alopecia are not authoritative to assess the biological age.
Aging and energy consumption
The main energy need comes out of our metabolism during the resting state. Unfortunately, the resting state metabolism is decreasing by about 10% during our early adulthood and retirement age, and later by additional 10%. The reason for the decrease in our metabolism is directly connected with the loss of metabolically active muscle mass and parallel increase of our fat tissue, which is indifferent for the resting state metabolism. In the old age the metabolism of cells can slow down even more. However, by adjusting the food to the slowed resting and cell metabolism we should remember that the nutrition like proteins and calcium provided with what we eat is reduced as well. The nutrition can be artificially supplemented by consuming synthetic whey proteins or we can increase the uptake of nutrients by performing physical exercises.Aging and the decline of body’s oxygen uptake
Oxygen is an indispensible component of cell metabolism. Man has a maximum oxygen uptake around the age of 25. Unfortunately, along with age the oxygen uptake systematically declines. Even among sportsmen, the oxygen uptake declines as they become older, but not as fast as it can be noticed in case of a person who leads a sedentary life. It is mainly an outcome of a heart rate decrease, stroke volume and arterio-venous oxygen saturation difference.1. Pulse
Te maximum heart rate declines because of reduced sensitivity to circulation catecholamines. By the classical equation [Peak value = 220 beats/min. – age in years)] we find that it is around 155 beats/min. in the age of 65 lat. Also, it happens that a 65-year old person with an astonishing physical capacity can achieve up to 170beats/min. The peak values that we may achieve at certain chronological age can be limited if we suffer, for instance from chronic lung disease or myocardial ischemia.
2. Stroke volume
In general, chronological age affects the stroke volume. It happens that elderly people have higher stroke volume during the maximum effort than younger persons, but elderly people have difficulties to maintain their maximum volume for a longer period of time. It is directly connected with the loss of flexibility of their heart and arteries, including the development of myocardial ischemia. Also, the arterio-venous difference in oxygen levels becomes reduced with age.
3. The consequences of declining oxygenation of the body
With age, declining heartbeat and stroke volume lead to the decrease in oxygenation of the body. This process can be accelerated by various diseases or it can be delayed by active life style. The consequence of declining oxygenation of the body is rapid fatigue at work, domestic activities, different kinds of manual labor or even walking when advanced in years.
Te maximum heart rate declines because of reduced sensitivity to circulation catecholamines. By the classical equation [Peak value = 220 beats/min. – age in years)] we find that it is around 155 beats/min. in the age of 65 lat. Also, it happens that a 65-year old person with an astonishing physical capacity can achieve up to 170beats/min. The peak values that we may achieve at certain chronological age can be limited if we suffer, for instance from chronic lung disease or myocardial ischemia.
2. Stroke volume
In general, chronological age affects the stroke volume. It happens that elderly people have higher stroke volume during the maximum effort than younger persons, but elderly people have difficulties to maintain their maximum volume for a longer period of time. It is directly connected with the loss of flexibility of their heart and arteries, including the development of myocardial ischemia. Also, the arterio-venous difference in oxygen levels becomes reduced with age.
3. The consequences of declining oxygenation of the body
With age, declining heartbeat and stroke volume lead to the decrease in oxygenation of the body. This process can be accelerated by various diseases or it can be delayed by active life style. The consequence of declining oxygenation of the body is rapid fatigue at work, domestic activities, different kinds of manual labor or even walking when advanced in years.
The aging of the musculo-skeletal functions
Aging leads to a progressive decline in muscle strength and flexibility of our whole body.
1. Muscles
A man, at the age of 25, achieves the peak of durability. The durability decreases till the age of 35-40, then the loss of our physical endurance accelerates and around the age of 65 it stands for about 25% of our peak potential. The gradual loss of muscle weight and strength makes our day difficult. Even the easiest activities like moving 5kg of food from one place to another, opening a flask with medicine or cleaning can become beyond our strength. In general, women lose their strength faster than men.
2. Flexibility
Apart from losing the muscle weight and our strength, we also lose the flexibility of our joints, tendons and the connections between collagen fibers in intervertebral discs. The loss of strength and flexibility causes the difficulties in performing the easies activities including getting into a car, going upstairs or even walking.
3. Bone structure
Along with our age, the content of calcium in our bones decreases. These changes are more visible among women than men and may occur at an earlier age. These changes may start as early as the age of 30 among women and become more rapid in the menopause period.
In the old age, the bones become so weak that even the slight fall, coughing or even muscle contractions may cause "pathological" fracture. The fraction of the hip often initiates irreversible lying in the bed and is the cause of death.
4. The aging of metabolic functions
Old persons usually have less efficient hormonal control mechanisms – pancreas and thyroid in particular. This process enforces obesity and the lack of physical inactivity advancing with age.
1. Muscles
A man, at the age of 25, achieves the peak of durability. The durability decreases till the age of 35-40, then the loss of our physical endurance accelerates and around the age of 65 it stands for about 25% of our peak potential. The gradual loss of muscle weight and strength makes our day difficult. Even the easiest activities like moving 5kg of food from one place to another, opening a flask with medicine or cleaning can become beyond our strength. In general, women lose their strength faster than men.
2. Flexibility
Apart from losing the muscle weight and our strength, we also lose the flexibility of our joints, tendons and the connections between collagen fibers in intervertebral discs. The loss of strength and flexibility causes the difficulties in performing the easies activities including getting into a car, going upstairs or even walking.
3. Bone structure
Along with our age, the content of calcium in our bones decreases. These changes are more visible among women than men and may occur at an earlier age. These changes may start as early as the age of 30 among women and become more rapid in the menopause period.
In the old age, the bones become so weak that even the slight fall, coughing or even muscle contractions may cause "pathological" fracture. The fraction of the hip often initiates irreversible lying in the bed and is the cause of death.
4. The aging of metabolic functions
Old persons usually have less efficient hormonal control mechanisms – pancreas and thyroid in particular. This process enforces obesity and the lack of physical inactivity advancing with age.
Anti-aging exercises
Aging is one of many other processes coded into our genes. By having a certain knowledge, however, we may significantly slow down this process or speed it up.Among many factors that help up to slow down the process of aging, physical exercises are very important. The strength of muscles can be greatly improved even by people in older age. The benefits of strengthened muscles are invaluable.
Exercises with weights
Among many forms of physical activities, the best possible choice is a varied training with weights devoted to as many muscle groups as possible. If an older person starts such a training for the first time, such a person should start with very light loads. Exercises with smaller loads do not implement more danger for the heart than staying with sedentary way of life. It is very hard to motivate older people to perform exercises and especially exercises with weights, since they pretend to accustomed with the state of their current biological age. For sure, it is hard to start physical exercises at an old age when such a person has never done this before. Why not to start doing it when it is possible to reverse one’s biological age by even 20 years...?Who cares about our health?
Is there anybody who cares more about our health than ourselves? Rather not. Our health depends on ourselves and we ourselves, during our life, have to put a lot of effort into it, to not lose this particular gift. In this fight for our health, physical exercises fulfill a very important function. Older people should be motivated to start performing exercises primary by their own children. Such a help might make the parents to realize how important for their health and physical efficiency are the physical exercises. Sometimes, such help is to just buy an indispensible training equipment. We should remember that by helping our parents with their battle for better physical capacity, not only we improve their elderly life but also we improve the quality of our lives as well. It is also very important to show our parents how important the physical exercises are for our health on our example. We must remember that our old age begins today. What we do for our own health while being 20-30 years old will result in our old age.When should we start to train?
When should we start taking care of our health by doing physical exercises at least few times a week? Well, every moment is good but the sooner we make exercises, and especially exercises with weights, a part of our daily life the better for our health. It is possible to say that it is never too early or never too late for us to start training. In order to start our training routine, first we have to realize how beneficial the exercises really are. Then, even elderly person will be motivated to exercise with weights. Many people posses the knowledge, what are the benefits of doing physical exercises regularly, however, they fail to use this knowledge and they postpone their decisions of starting regular exercise. They remain unconvinced by their overweight and problems with physical capacity of their organism. The first alert to make their notice that something wrong is happening is a heart attack or serious problems with their spine. Then, many of us start to realize the truth that prevention is better than cure.And physical exercises are one of the best possible investments in our health. And it is an investment that we can make in every moment of our life. This investment does not require ridiculously large financial costs. The costs of equipping a home gym is comparable to the cost of a single holiday trip.
We should consider why do we safe our financial resources on our pension system, while on the other hand, we do so little to make a longer use of these money? It is never too late for changes and the decision always belongs to us.