Anti-Aging Effects of Exercise

Misconception: Older adults are weak and their level of energy inevitably declines.

Research shows that regular exercise provides the same benefit for elderly people as it does for younger individuals. If you are over 55 years old, simply implementing regular exercise can prevent and, in most cases, reverse almost half of the physical deterioration normally associated with getting older. So, why is it that less than 10 percent of people who have retired exercise more than 3 times per week?

The area of fitness that you should focus on the most is strength training. When you are younger, the majority of your workout schedule should consist of aerobic exercise. As you get older, the ratio of aerobic exercise to strength training sessions should flip-flop. Training with weights will improve your level of strength, balance, and flexibility. This results in reducing your risk of falls and fractures.

This is unbelievable: If you strength train regularly for one full year, you can take 15 to 20 years off your physical condition!! Aging is often perceived as the enemy. Reality - It is physical inactivity that is the true enemy. By not keeping yourself active, even at age 30, you will notice your muscles getting smaller and weaker.

FACT: By not regularly including strength exercise in your workout regimen, you will lose up to one-half pound of muscle every year of life after age 25. This can not only effect your physical capabilities later in life, but will also cause you to gain weight. Muscle is a very active tissue with high-energy requirements. At rest, your muscles are responsible for over 25% of your calorie expenditure. Thus, increasing the amount of muscle tissue in your body results in a corresponding increase in the number of calories your body will burn, even at rest.

Do you have a hard time making yourself go to the gym to get in your workout? Why not get involved with a senior activity that requires you to be social while incorporating your physical activity? The National Senior Games Association provides opportunities for adults over the age of 50 to participate in athletic competition.

***Before beginning activity, please schedule a visit with your primary physician. Talk with him or her about the activity.

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Written by: Laura S. Garrett, RD -- Registered Dietitian & ACE Certified Personal Trainer
-- Keep Laura's advice at your fingertips, wherever you and your cell phone go with
"Text ur R.D."
-- Learn more at: http://www.NutrActive.com

Multivitamin = Better Health?

Trying to incorporate healthier lifestyle changes often brings into question multivitamin use -- Should you take a daily multivitamin? Which of the many choices on the market is right for you? Fact is most Americans fall short of consuming many of the recommended nutrients necessary to maintain optimum health. Taking a basic daily multivitamin is a good preventive action. Convenience foods and fast foods are much to blame. We are busy and too often opt for the quick and easy when it comes to meals.

While Western countries are no longer afflicted with vitamin deficient disease such as scurvy (not enough vitamin C) or rickets (not enough vitamin D), degenerative diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis are still on the rise. So, what's commonly missing in our diets? Less than 1 in 5 Americans consume enough vitamin E. Only 1 in 4 get enough vitamin K. And, fewer than 1/2 get enough vitamin A or calcium in their diet. It's these types of nutritional inadequacies that may be setting us up for the common degenerative diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and others. Simply taking a daily multivitamin is an easy, inexpensive way to bridge these nutritional gaps. It should be noted that a standard multivitamin will not contain enough calcium. A separate calcium supplement is advisable unless you truly include 3 to 4 servings of dairy in your diet every single day.

A basic multivitamin is one that doesn't go beyond 100% of the recommended amount. What about super formulas that go beyond the RDAs? Taking a supplement that goes above and beyond 100% can introduce new health problems. You will be consuming more than the recommended safe upper limit. What about taking more than one supplement formulation? Let's say you start taking high dose multivitamin and also want to take a separate antioxidant formula. You would potentially be getting more than 10,000 IU for vitamin A exceeding it's safe upper limit and this is not even counting the amount of vitamin A naturally consumed in your diet. Studies have shown over supplementing with one antioxidant can cause health risks. Taking a high dose multivitamin with a prostate formula or immune boosting formula could put your consumption of zinc over 50 mg ultimately interfering with copper absorption resulting in a copper deficiency! Bottom line -- extra nutritional supplementation does not = better health!

Summary ---
Eating a healthy, well balanced diet is the best defense against nutritionally related diseases. Including a basic daily multivitamin is recommended. Antioxidants can help prevent diseases when they come from food sources, but not excessive amounts via supplements which can actually have the opposite effect. Remember -- Fresh is best!

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Written by: Laura S. Garrett, RD
-- Registered Dietitian & ACE Certified Personal Trainer
-- Keep Laura's advice at your fingertips, wherever you and your cell phone go with "Text ur R.D." -- Learn more at: http://www.NutrActive.com