Your Body Inside and Out: Using Exercise Physiology to Slow Aging

You will learn about the physiology of aging and how your body adapts to physical activity in the following categories.

• Lifestyle Activities – Like the lettuce in your salad, lifestyle activities will provide the foundation for your healthy lifestyle. Whether it is walking the dog or carrying your groceries, small changes throughout the day can make a difference in your overall health and function.

• Cardiovascular System – Your heart, vessels and blood provide a network that delivers oxygen and nutrients while removing waste products, essentially keeping you alive. Optimizing the function of the cardiovascular system throughout your life will provide you with more energy, reduce your risk for disease and help you live longer.

• Muscles – Preventing muscle loss as you age is critical to maintaining function and independence. Using your muscles regularly at all ages also reduces the risk for disease and premature mortality.

• Bones – Often considered a “dead” tissue, bones are surprisingly responsive to the loads that are placed upon them. Keeping a healthy skeleton through physical activity can reduce the risk of debilitating fractures and osteoporosis later in life.

• Joints – Smooth, pain free joints are critical to continued movement throughout the lifespan, so keeping them functioning should be a priority. In contrast to what many people believe, moderate physical activity can help optimally maintain joints and actually reduce the risk for osteoarthritis.

• Brain – Arguably one of the best things you can do to maintain your brain as you age is to engage in regular physical activity. New information is emerging every day as to how your brain and body are intimately connected through a bi-directional communication network. What is good for your body is super for your brain.

• Cellular Aging – Many of the benefits you see from physical activity at the whole body level are results of what is happening down in the individual cells. Physical activity can improve repair mechanisms, lengthen telomeres (an indicator of aging) and even reduce cell death. In essence, physical activity can make your cells appear and behave younger!