Fitness and Aging

1
Fitness and Aging

• Kin/NuFS 163
• Mike Sullivan

2
What happens as you age?

• General Functioning remains fairly constant until
  after age 70, changes that may occur include the
  following
• Skin Drier and less elastic
• Ability to hear high pitched sounds decreases
• Ability to see nearby objects, adjust eyes to
  darkness, discern depth
• Taste and smell diminish somewhat
• Hair turns gray
• Bone mass is lost muscles become weaker
  (exercise diminish)
• Heart pumps less blood per beat, max heart rate
  drops

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What happens as you age?

• Neural Function 40 decline in spinal cord
  axons 10 decline in nerve conduction velocity
• Endocrine Changes decrease GH, TST, Est, DHEA
  (no change for cortisol)
• Pulmonary function VC, TLC, RLV, FEV 1 decline
• Cardiovascular function VO2 decreases 1/year
  (extrapolating this by 100 - resting) Exercise
  can make it 0.5. HR, CO decrease, SV might
  increase

4
Life Enhancing Measures

• Challenge your mind. Stay involved in learning
• Plan for social changes. Retirement and empty
  nest syndrome confer advantages on those who
  know how t enjoy and use leisure time.
• Develop physical Fitness
• Eat wisely
• Maintain healthy body composition
• Control drinking and overdependence on medication

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Life Enhancing Measures

• Dont smoke
• Recognize and reduce stress
• Get regular physical exams
• Protect yourself from the sun
• Avoid extremely large noises

6
Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults

• Physiological peak 30 yo
• Decline about 0.5-1.0 a year
• Decrease VO2 max, CO, muscle strength, fat free
  mass, joint mobility, and other factors.
• Regular exercise substantially alters rate of
  decline. Improved longevity and quality.

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Endurance Exercise

• Endurance Exercise can improve VO2 max by up to
  15-30
• Same degree of improvement as younger individuals
• Master athletes in 70s have VO2 similar to
  sedentary individuals in 20s
• Endurance training improves C-R function,
  cellular metabolism, body comp, psychological and
  emotional well being.

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Endurance Benefits continued

• Exercise regularly
• Better balance
• Greater bone density (less likely to injure
  oneself with a fall)
• Disease prevention
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Dementia

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Resistance Training

• Helps maintain independent lifestyle as age
• Build up strength and fat-free mass
• Boosts spirits (stength gains come quickly and
  are easy to transfer to everyday life climbing
  stairs/ lifting groceries)

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Flexibility

• Improve Range of motion in joints
• Maintain functional independence

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Finally

• Life expectancy increased drastically over the
  last century
• 70 of population live til 70
• Exercise is one of the best Age proofing
  strategies
• 10 year period active 45 year old men forestalled
  9-15 VO2 max decline. At age 55 they had the
  same BP, body mass, VO2max
• Never too late
• 80 years olds just starting have shown to have
  increased longevity and quality of life.