There are not many guarantees in life, but aging is one of them. Sound bleak? It really is not since you are reading this article.
As a member of our CrossFit community you are already invested in the best medicine there is to fight or delay aging. An article published by the Harvard School of Medicine (March 2014), states that “no man can stop the clock, but every man can slow its tick. Research shows that many of the changes attributed to aging are actually caused in large part by disuse.” Disuse refers to not manipulating or exercising the body to improve the nervous, vascular, muscular, and numerous other systems of the human body.
Research indicates that exercise negates the effects of aging in many facets of a person’s health such as decreased: resting heart rate, heart and blood vessel stiffness, blood pressure, body fat, blood sugar and insulin levels. Other positive effects include increased: calcium levels, HDL “good” cholesterol, quality of sleep, and metabolic rate. Maintaining a consistent exercise regimen, complimented by a healthy diet, will allow you to embrace aging instead of fearing it.
As Hippocrates said 2,400 years ago, “That which is used develops; that which is not wastes away.”
–Toni Guidi
CrossFit Coach